Two developments in recent years have converged to dramatically
alter most conceptions of the teaching and learning process. First,
technology has become increasingly interactive and distributed,
such that individual learners have available the means to
participate in incredibly complex networks of information,
resources, and instruction. As these technological advancements
facilitate interaction across classroom, university, and worldwide
learning communities in both real-time and delayed formats, various
instructional design and implementation problems spring forth.
Second, the conventional teacher-centered model wherein knowledge
is transmitted from the teacher to the learner is being replaced by
social constructivist and learner-centered models of instruction.
These new learner-centered models place emphasis on guiding and
supporting students as they meaningfully construct their
understanding of various cultures and communities.
As a consequence of these developments, teachers need guidelines
from educational researchers about integrating collaboration and
communication tools into their classrooms. This volume presents
research on such collaborative technology as it facilitates,
augments, and redefines academic learning environments. The studies
illustrate how schools, teachers, and students are discovering,
employing, and modifying the numerous new computer conferencing and
collaborating writing tasks and tools, and their effects on social
interaction and resulting student learning. Documentation is given
that will help teachers to make decisions that productively
transform learning environments.
Three key objectives underlie this volume:
*to discover some of the electronic collaboration tools and
formats currently employed by teachers in schools and universities
and to situate these within a five-level taxonomy of computer
conferencing and collaborative writing tools and approaches;
*to examine some of the sociocultural learning variables embedded
in the use of electronic collaborative tools and approaches;
and
*to participate in a dialogue about the importance of student
electronic social interaction and dialogue from a sociocultural
perspective.
This is a must-read volume for all researchers, scholars, graduate
students, and practitioners interested in such fields as
sociocultural theory, process writing, cooperative learning,
learner-centeredness, distance education, peer conferencing and
tutoring, mentoring, electronic collaboration, problem- and
project-based learning, collaborative writing, and educational
reform.
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