 Technologies and Methods to Support Collaborative Learning in Online Teams
Abstract
The development and delivery of university courses online is a complex and challenging task. This thesis addresses the question of how to create an online environment that supports learning, effective communication and meaningful collaboration. The use of any particular technology will not necessarily lead to quality learning if it is not matched with appropriate constructivistic pedagogies. It is discussed that the success of online courses is dependent also on the underlying instructional model.
An online learning environment was created, using the open-source software Tikiwiki, which offers a variety of tools for online collaboration, especially a feature called Wiki, an environment where the users can edit the web pages they read.
The existing face-to-face postgraduate course, "IENV7933 Interaction Design", currently taught at the University of Queensland, Australia was developed for online delivery.
In order to test the use and effectiveness of various tools in prospect of online collaboration, an existing assignment was chosen, called ‘Video Card Game’. The assignment was conducted with students based in Germany and Australia over a 3 week period. Emphasis was placed on the usage and effectiveness of the collaborative tools as well as on the students experience and feelings of working collaboratively online.
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