The Creation of Virtual and Face-to-Face Learning Communities: An International Collaboration Experience

Abstract

This article examines the use of technology in higher education to support an international collaboration between 2 graduate seminars in cognition and instruction, one in Mexico and another in Canada. The culture of both seminars is described in the context of using computer mediated collaboration systems. The online collaboration between and within the 2 groups happened through the use of the communications tools available in WebCT, a Web-based course management system. The analyses reveal the discursive patterns between instructors and students in both settings, with an examination of teacher presence as it pertains to a cognitive apprenticeship perspective, with particular attention to teacher's modeling and scaffolding. We also present the nature of the student interactions in terms of the cognitive elements present in the discourse and the types of social interactions that support the community of inquiry model. Students in both seminars revealed high levels of critical thinking in the types of discussions they engaged in and the types of questions they posed to others. Differences were noted in the types of teacher modeling in the 2 seminars. These differences are explored and future directions are stated for promoting international collaborations in higher education.