Technology and Collaborative Learning The Teaching of Writing

Vassiliki Kourbani

Dimitris Tolias

The Concept

• Technology has

– Revolutionized teaching

– Accelerated experimentation

– Provided possibilities for new interpersonal contacts

– Engaged students in exploring the language

– Brought students and teachers together

The learning framework

• Collaborative – Interaction– Involvement– Communication

• Autonomous and Independent – Invention– Self-organization– Self-evaluation– Detachment

• Simulated – Create– Explore– Expose– Facilitate– Interpret

Applying theory to practice

• The Case of the Hellenic American University Writing Center

• The methodology philosophy

• The learning and teaching concept

Collaborative SoftwareCollaborative Design

Teaching Writing Principles

Design and Rationale

• The Isles of Collaborative Learning– Sharing– Accessing– Participating– Motivating– Visualizing

• The Environment [Physical and Virtual]– Patented furniture

• Embedded screens• Octagonal shaped• Ample work surface

– Cutting-edge technology• Interactive electronic whiteboard• Collaborative software

– Conducive to learning• Group work• Individual work

Resources

• 19 work stations– Windows XP

• Fast Internet Connection– 100 Mbps

• LAN [Local Network]– Independence

• NetOp School– Virtual classroom application

• Mimio– Interactive whiteboard

• NetMeeting– Communication tool

The Writing Center as a classroom environment

• Monitoring– Tutor can demonstrate – monitor – interact – Individual attention– Group Collaboration

• Interaction– Multiple active communication– Text and media transfer– Immediate feedback

• Collaboration – Visualization– Sharing tutor notes and suggestions real-time– Subgroups of cooperation– Independent student cooperation

• Transfer– Knowledge effectively and quickly streamlined– Multiple inputs– Difference learning styles are met– Multiple transferring of data

Monitoring

• NetOp School© software helps instructors monitor students real-time– Instructor selects computer screen to monitor without interrupting student’s flow

of work– Instructor sends note messages with advice and tips

• Monitoring can be done– on a whole-class-basis– to selected groups– to individual students

• Note messages– are usually brief– include a tip– pinpoint errors– provide web links to external sources

Interaction

• NetOp and NetMeeting© software allow interaction between instructor and students in various forms

– Written text– Sound files– images

• Each student is able– to access immediate feedback on the progress of his work– to share his/her work with other students– to form active subgroups within the same class

• Instructors may use the Chat Feature of NetOp– to communicate with one or more students– to provide the option to students to initiate a real-time discussion with their

classmates

Collaboration-Visualization

• Mimio© software– Remains active from the beginning of each session– Allows instructor to have the complete attention of the class

• All teacher notes are projected to the central screen

• All teacher notes are saved and transmitted electronically onto the students’ computers

• NetOp© software– Facilitates immediate visualization and sharing of work

• Instructor selects members in work groups and have them share texts or assignments

• Instructor and students work on a document at the same time

Transfer

• Quick and effective transfer of knowledge within the environment– Instructor to students

• Texts or media files

– Students to students• Shared assignments and feedback

• Transfer of knowledge is achieved trough the combined use of– Interactive board– Power point presentation– Screen monitoring– Real-time communication– Selected dispatching of information– Publicizing students’ work as example or sample for the rest of the class