Pedagogical Communication Patterns in Collaborative Telelearning

Abstract

Collaborative learning is an indispensable part of Telelearning Distance Education courses. It is naturally implemented via such activities as data collection, projects, and field studies. The worldwide revolution in the telecommunication environment that has been gathering momentum in recent years is bringing radical changes in the collaboration channels. To prepare for these changes, it is vital to identify and solve a wide range of educational and organizational problems involving the embedding of learning and teaching procedures in a telecommunication rich environment. This article is concerned with the pedagogical communication patterns between students and tutors. The result of evaluating students behavior in a set of telelearning Computer Science courses show that they differentiate between the personal dimension of communicating with others and the group dimension which enable true collaborative work. The former depends mainly on the extent to which they need help, whereas the later depends on the design of the group collaboration and the creative leadership of the class teacher or the tutor.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Strommen

, Cooperative Learning, Electronic Learning, pp. 24–35, March 1995.

Hadgraft

R. G.

, PBL—A Vital Step towards a New Work Environment, to Appear in International Journal of Engineering Education.

Davoli

Maryani

Talone

, and Zappatore

, Interactive Distance Learning over ISDN in Electronic Engineering Education, International Journal of Engineering Education, 12: 2, 1996.

Harasim

L. M.

, On-line Education, pp. 39–64, Praeger, 1990.

Dede

, The Evolution of Distance Education: Emerging Technologies and Distributed Learning, The American Journal of Distance Education, 10: 2, 1996.

Turrof

, On-line Education, pp. ix–xiii, Praeger, 1990.

Hiltz

S. R.

Shapiro

, and Ringsted

, Collaborative Teaching in a Virtual Classroom, Proceedings of the Third Guelph Symposium on Computer Conferencing, University of Guelph, pp. 37–55, Guelph, Ontario, 1990.

Betz

J. A.

, Constructing Cooperative Learning Systems in Engineering Technology, Journal of Educational Technology, 25: 2, 1996–97.

Gorski

, The Mind Extension University, Educom Review, 29: 6, pp. 26–30, 1994.

10.

The Globwide Network Academy, http://uu-gna.mit.edu:8001/uu-gna/index.html.

11.

Hall

J. W.

, The Convergence of the Means—The Revolution in Electronic Technology and the Modern University, Educom Review, 30: 4, pp. 42–45, 1995.

12.

Twig

C. A.

, The Value of Independent Study, Educom Review, 30: 4, 1995.

13.

Wells

, Computer Mediated Communication for Distance Education: An International Review of Design, Teaching and Institutional Issues, ACSDE Research Monograph, 6, American Center for the Study of Distance Education, College of Education, The Pennsylvania State University, 1992.

14.

Mason

, An Evaluation of Cosy on an Open University Course, Mindweave, pp. 115–145, Pergamon Press, 1989.

15.

van Meurs

C. E. J.

and Bouhuijs

P. A. J.

, Tele-Education: An Experiment on Home Computing at the Dutch Open University, Open Learning, 4: 1, pp. 33–36, 1989.

16.

Paulsen

M. F.

, Ekko: A Virtual School, Mindweave, pp. 201–207, Pergamon Press, 1989.

17.

Hahn

Ashworth

R. L.

Phelps

R. H.

Wells

Richards

R. E.

, and Daveline

, Distributed Training for the Reserve Component: Remote Delivery Using Asynchronous Computer Conferencing, Research Report 1581, U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Alexandria, Virginia, 1991.

18.

Hiltz

S. R.

, The Virtual Classroom, in Proceedings of the Exxon Conference on Computer Mediated Conferencing Systems and Their Potential, pp. 70–73, Office of Research Administration, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, 1984.

19.

Hiltz

S. R.

, The Virtual Classroom: Using Computer-Mediated Communication for University Teaching, Journal of Communication, 36: 2, pp. 95–104, 1986.