CSCL2 Chapter 9-12; The World is Open Chapters 6-9; Theory and Practice of Online Learning Chapters 5-6

CSCl2: Chapters 9-12

Chapter 10

Educational systems today have been built on the basis of a bi-directional video-mediated teleconference system (pg. 408). In other words, a teacher talks and the students listen, not only to words but voice inflections, and watch body language. This is hard to do when participating in a video mediated classroom setting. (pg. 409) Chapter 10 dealt with possible solutions with the prevailing systems used for conducting online classes. The author's of the study feel that the systems used today are not sufficient for conducting collaborative learning where nonverbal interaction in crucial although they may be acceptable for an educational situation such as a lecture. The two concepts tested in this chapter are, one, the "face to face metaphor" in which the ultimate aim is to create an environment in which distant people talk as if in a close face to face conversation. (pg. 410) and two, the "body-metaphor concept" in which multiple camera's and monitors are used to show the speaker and the listeners faces, hands, and the objects in which they are using to present the lecture.

Based on a normal classroom lecture environment, the investigators were interested in seeing how the learners positioned themselves during instruction. When the instructor pointed to an object several things were observed to be important to the success or failure of the lecture:

1. the learners should be able to see the instructor's pointer
2. the instructor should be able to see that the learners are orienting themselves toward the object as well as the pointer while they are watching his/her pointing
3. the instructor should be able to reassure the learners by actions or words that the instructor is aware of the learners' orientation and when the learners intend to draw the instructor's attention to initiate a conversation with him/her
4. the learners should be able to see the instructors face and
5. the instructor should be able to notice the learner's orientation toward himself/herself. (pg. 411)

The experiment was conducted with four groups with each group consisting of one instructor and two learners. All subjects were university students. The experimenters taught some of the students to play the role of instructors. An experimental session for each group took one hour, during which both patterns were tried. While conducting the experiment, the learners' site had three cameras and three monitors. The instructors' site had two cameras and three monitors. One room had face-to-face metaphor in which a traditional teleconference based distance education system was in place. The front of the room had the face to face view and the hand gesture view. The work monitor was placed in the back of the room. The other room was set up based on the body metaphor concept with the face to face view was in front, the hand gesture and work screen were placed at the back.

It was concluded that by using the body metaphor concept, in which the learners had proof that the instructor was aware of their orientation, and that by being able to see not only where the instructor was pointing, but also what he was pointing toward, that there seemed to be a better balance between the understandability and the richness of communication resources. The learners were better able to attend to all 5 areas (mentioned) above that contributed to a successful online collaboration session.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 dealt with the use of mobile computing systems and multimedia, such as graphics, film clips, video, spoken and written text) to transform learning and teaching experiences in the field setting. (pg. 508) Mobile computers can make .

These studies were done based on the Activity Theory: Based on Vygotsky's Situated Learning Theory, the Activity Theory focuses attention on action, doing, and practice, but within the "activity" as the unit and context of analysis. (pg. 508) The individual, or individuals, is motivated to pursue an object or goal and thereby undertake actions in pursuit of that goal. These actions are intentional, and are carried out through various operations. Cultural artifacts (language, symbols, instruments, etc.) play a mediating role in the actions used to meet the goal.

The study found that the purpose of developing mobile computing applications is to provide resources and communication abilities where they are needed as well as to help prepare students for applied scientific practice. (pg. 525) These mobile technologies can potentially enable students to share information, coordinate their tasks, and more generally, function effectively in collaborative activities. (pg. 525) Mobile communication applications can: support or mediate the socialization of students by combining online help, expert advice, resources, peer collaboration, and the opportunity to learn. (pg. 525) In this way, the teacher's role becomes one that is more of a facilitator than an expert which in turn, allows students to become more involved in their learning process. By using these tools in an existing social situation with their own cultures, norm of interaction, and routinized practices, these tools will be interpreted and used accordingly. However, that being said, these same cultural rules can transform how the tools are used so that these tools are no longer being used the way they were initially intended.


The World is Open Chapter 8


Chapter 8 reinforces the idea that there is a learning shift taking place in education.  (pg. 285)  Learning no longer needs to be held in the tedious classrooms of the past where the teacher talks and students listen.  Learning can be FUN.  (pg. 275)  By incorporating smart-phones, miniature laptops, flat-screen televisions, interactive games, digital cameras, graphing calculators, and perhaps digital books, the classroom can be transformed into a  technological haven where interactive learning can help students learn by doing "real-world" activities.  


Learning communities such as Second Life are making classrooms available to people all over the world not just in the communities in which universities are located.  By using podcasts, wikis, blogs Webcasts, discussions, debates, and online community television, Second Life is allowing the general public to participate in and experience university classrooms. (pg. 280)  This allows synchronous or real-time interactions which encourage immediate interaction, collaboration, and information on demand that helps to connect students more deeply to the course.  (pg. 280)  


Serious Gaming explores and promotes the learning possibilities and results of playing games.  (pg. 285)  These games focus on education, training, and simulations.  By using these educational games, students are provided with "real-life" learning simulations that can help then better prepare for working in the real world.  Research has shown that  surgeons who engaged in at least three  hours of video game playing per week were 27 percent faster and made 37 percent fewer mistakes than those who did not play such games.  (pg. 277)  


By combining all, or some, of these techniques into the classroom, education will become enhanced , not only by the portability and mobility of learning, but also by the collaboration and real-life interactions of the students with technology.