FOR COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN LARGE COLLEGE CLASSES

This project explored how computer conferencing may facilitate collaborative learning and enhance social interactions in large college classes. We worked with a variety of instructors at Indiana University in Bloomington to support their use of the technology and to analyze its collaborative potential for their classes. The emphasis was on courses whose high enrollment normally allows little interaction with the instructor and among students. Computer conferencing seems to emerge as a medium that–if integrated well Vol 3.4 DEOSNEWS 1 of 12 1 of 12 1/28/11 3:39 PM into the course–can contribute significantly to a better, more student-centered learning climate. However, a variety of problems still need to be addressed. They result from three major sources: (a) Inadequacies of software and the system’s availability on and off campus; (b) student expectations based on experiences of competitiveness in school; and (c) traditional teaching models that interfere with an effective use of the medium’s interactive potential. Computer Conferencing for Collaborative Learning in Large College Classes Structural Problems in Today’s Mass University Higher education is currently undergoing its most significant changes in decades: Student populations are shifting from young students just out of high school to older students, who have been in the workplace for many years; college classes are becoming larger as a result of decreased public funding (The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jan. 9, 1991); and a significant shortage of faculty is predicted for the current decade (The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept. 18, 1989; July 11, 1990). At the same time, universities are turning out degrees in record numbers. National studies of higher education have been critical, however, claiming that these degree programs do not develop students’ critical thinking skills and social values (AAC-report Jan. 1991; Carnegie Foundation report 1987). Faculty and instructional developers are exploring how instructional strategies and new educational technologies can contribute to solving these problems. There is evidence that the use of collaborative learning together with the concomitant development of a supportive social environment can revitalize the classroom process for both teachers and learners (Gabelnick et al. 1990; Gamson et al. 1984; Svinicki 1990). Special grouping procedures can be used to break up large classes and supplement lectures with highly interactive activities (Barrows et al. 1986; Brothen 1986; Gleason-Weimer 1987; McGee 1986; Michaelsen 1983), and new computer technology can contribute to a social infrastructure that allows instructors and students to distribute initiatives for the learning process in more democratic and reflective ways (Adams et al. 1990; Feenberg 1989; Galegher et al. 1990; Harasim 1990; Mason and Kaye 1989). In the spring of 1990, the instructional development office at Indiana University received a grant from the Telecommunications Advancement Foundation/Japan to explore how electronic networking may facilitate collaborative learning and enhance social interaction in instructional contexts where face-to-face contact among the students is limited. Our research primarily relates to large college classes where high enrollment does not allow students to get to know each other and engage in meaningful discussions. It also includes a course taught on two campuses of Indiana University simultaneously via two-way television broadcast. Computer conferencing (CC) has been shown to create new pathways for communication and social interaction in distance education (Ambron and Pennington 1988; Harasim 1990; Hiltz 1988; Mason 1988; Mason and Kaye 1989). The goal of our project was to find out whether some of the advantages CC has yielded with older and highly motivated populations could also be achieved in today’s large and anonymous college classes. We therefore targeted Vol 3.4 DEOSNEWS 2 of 12 2 of 12 1/28/11 3:39 PM high-enrollment courses, mostly undergraduate, and looked at what electronic conferencing could do to break up the anonymity and passivity among the students. Unfortunately, large classes taught by instructors who are experienced in both CC and collaborative learning, are hard to find. Under these circumstances, our project was at times as much an experiment in the adoption and diffusion of new instructional approaches as it was an investigation into the potentials of the electronic conferencing technology. This paper will concentrate on the latter part. We will discuss three different approaches to CC used in the project, describe the major technical and structural problems encountered, and reflect on the conceptual advantages the medium has to offer large classrooms. Major CC-Functions Used by Instructors at IU In using computer conferencing for collaborative learning in large classes, we have so far experienced three different approaches. Two of them were largely initiated by our team. Content-Related Discussions Between Class Meetings Probably the least demanding approach is to use CC as an extension of the classroom. There is never enough classtime when it comes to discussing complex issues, especially when “class” means 250 students in a lecture hall. The electronic conference is an ideal way to continue debates started during a class meeting. It can also be used in preparation for a class discussion. In that case, the instructor does an electronic survey of students’ opinions on a certain issue so that in the following class session they can discuss the issue in a more focused way. Collaborative Test Preparation Students frequently form study groups to review material on upcoming tests. This format can be used as a model for electronic collaboration that allows test preparation to become a meaningful instructional goal in itself. We have tried two versions of this approach. In the first, the instructor enters review questions after each lecture and appoints a number of student groups to discuss the answers in the conference. Different groups take turns throughout the semester. In the second version, groups of students are given electronically protected conference space to discuss the answers to a study guide. This second model includes an element of competition between groups in that the instructor evaluates the quality of each group’s preparation and assigns extra points. Both approaches require careful planning and monitoring. Work on Case Studies This approach uses the electronic conference as a bulletin board to publish the products of individuals and groups in preparation for further live discussion. The logistics of sharing written information becomes a complicated (and costly) problem in large classes. At the same time, such classes offer the opportunity for comparing a range of opinions and interpretations that approaches demographic proportions. One way to exploit this opportunity is in conjunction with the case study approach to teaching. Individual students analyze relevant case scenarios. Vol 3.4 DEOSNEWS 3 of 12 3 of 12 1/28/11 3:39 PM Then, the multiple viewpoints generated by the whole class are used as stimuli for further discussion. Problems Encountered In undertaking such a project, one is bound to encounter a multitude of problems. Most of the variables were not under our control, and identifying the main hurdles seemed one of the most important results of our project. Besides reporting the problems, we propose some potential remedies. However, it is premature at this point to suggest that these are ultimate solutions. Problems With Technology At the time of this project, the total number of computers in public clusters on the Bloomington campus was about 700. Most computer rooms were closed in the evening limiting student access. At busy times, students became frustrated when unable to obtain a place at a terminal. Dorms were not yet equipped with significant numbers of computers, and only a minority of undergraduate students had invested in PC’s and modem hook-ups. The situation is still worse on other IU campuses. It is also structurally different. A high percentage of students on the other campuses, often the majority, consists of commuting students who shuttle between class, home, and work without spending much time using campus facilities. Under these conditions, even an abundance of public computer clusters on campus might not be enough to encourage regular use. The conferencing software that IU uses is DEC’s VAXNotes. Although it is relatively easy to learn, it has several drawbacks: 1. The commands in VAX-Notes are not very intuitive or user friendly. 2. Notes can only be made on two levels, as “topics” or “replies,” with little capability for cross-referencing. 3. Editors on a VAX computer are less powerful than a word processor. 4. Printing entails a cumbersome and time-consuming procedure. University Computing Services offer JumpStart classes designed to familiarize students with the basics of handling VAX accounts. These classes are open to all students. The largest course on campus currently using computer conferencing has over 500 students. Few campus computing offices in the country are prepared to train such a large student population efficiently enough to enable classes to communicate electronically within two weeks. This leaves the major training responsibility to the individual instructor, creating a formidable challenge for her or him, especially in the case of large classes. Possible Remedies for these Problems: 1. Lobby for computer clusters to be open longer. 2. Advise students as to the best times for working on the system (hours of the day, days of the week). 3. Provide good handouts, comprehensive ones for initial familiarization and short ones for daily use. 4. Require students to train each other in the use of the technology.