Title: Use of computer conferencing and e-mail in CS education
Proposer: Jacob Palme
E-mail: jpalme@dsv.su.se
Postal mail: Skeppargatan 73, 115 30 Stockholm
Phone: +46-8-16 16 67
Fax: +46-8-783 08 29
Category: Proposal for a working group

Problem: Message handling systems (e-mail, computer conferencing,
bulletin boards, etc.) are used to some extent in almost all computer
science education. The usage can vary on a scale from limited och more
extensive usage, including for example:

1. Students message teachers with individual questions.

2. Students submit their work through e-mail.

3. Discussion groups (mailing lists, non-simultaneous computer
   conferences, bulletin boards) are set up for discussion of course
   topics between students and teacher.

4. Messaging, usually in the form of non-simultaneous conferencing
   software, is an important part of the course, and much or all of the
   course activity is handled by the messaging system. This is
   especially suitable for courses where students are not only tought
   facts, but are tought to think and reason, such as courses on social
   impacts of computers.

The focus of this working group will be on all these usages, but more
about the usages which require more extensive usage of messaging.

Examples of questions to answer:

1. What are the pros- and cons of using messaging as an educational
   tool. When do such courses succeed and not succeed? Will student
   learn well or not so well using this tool?

2. How is a messaging-based course best organized (conferences of
   different type, work tasks, etc.)

3. How much of a burden is courses mainly based on messaging on the
   teacher.

4. Which functions are needed in messaging for educational usage.

Examples of functions which might be useful:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tools for the teacher     Tools for the student      Tools for the school
                                                     class

Administration of courses Participate in one or more Participate in a course
                          courses

Overview of ongoing,      Overview of status for     Overview of group tasks
future and finished       this student in the
courses                   mandatory course
                          activities

Plan and organise a       Follow a course according  Find group tasks in the
course with different     to the plan given by the   course plan
activities                teacher

Provide lists of tasks    Select a task from a list  Select a task from a list
where each student        of tasks so that only one  of tasks so that only one
selects a different task  student selects each task. group selects each task.
to perform and report to
the course.

Control when and how      See other students task
students can see what     reports
other students do (for
example a student may
have to complete a task
before seeing the task
reports from other
students).

See which students have   Perform individual and     Perform group tasks
performed and not         group tasks within the
performed each task       course and report to the
within the course, and    teacher
see the status of each    Reminders when behind in
student in relation to    the course work
the course

Answer and handle         Personal correspondence    Discuss the course topic
questions from individual between student and        with other students and
students                  teacher                    with the teacher, read
                                                     questions and other
                                                     messages from other
                                                     students on the task of
                                                     the course and responses
                                                     from the teacher

Giving exams              Participate in exams       Discuss points of order
                                                     in the running of the
                                                     course

Giving marks to the       Knowing your status,       Knowing your status in
students, knowing which   especially knowing areas   relation to other students
students are weak and     where the student is weak  in the course (not seeing
need more encouragement,  and needs more study       the individual marks of
knowing in which areas    Teacher evaluation tools   other students, but
knowing
the students in general                              if your own marks are
above
have problems with                                   or below average)
understanding the course
content

                          Off-line usage: The
                          student can rapidly
                          download web pages and
                          messages and then read
                          them and write own
                          contributions without need
                          for a continuos
                          connection.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - E-mail interface - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - World Wide Web interface - - - - - - - - - - -

  Data base where documents can be found by their names and keywords
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goal: Answers to the questions specified above.