this paper is to provide a clear link between the theoretical principles of constructivism and the practice of instructional design and the practice of teaching. We will begin with a basic characterization of constructivism identifying what we believe to be the central principles in learning and understanding. We will then identify and elaborate on eight instructional principles for the design of a constructivist learning environment. Finally, we will exam what we consider to be one of the best exemplars of a constructivist learning environment -- Problem Based Learning as described by Barrows (1985, 1986, 1992) at the Southern Illinois University Medical School and at the Problem Based Learning Institute for high school teachers .

Real-time educational groupware systems allow physically separated learners to work together in a shared virtual workspace at the same time. These systems do not yet approach the interaction richness of a face-to-face learning situation. In particular, one element poorly supported is workspace awareness: the up-to-the-minute knowledge a student requires about other students ’ interactions with the shared workspace. This awareness is essential if students are to learn and work together effectively. We present a framework of several types of awareness required by students in a collaborative learning situation, including their social, task, concept and workspace awareness. We then concentrate on workspace awareness, and describe how particular awareness requirements of students in group learning situations depend on the closeness of their tasks, and whether they are sharing the same view or have separate views into the workspace. From these requirements, we have prototyped several awareness widgets for educational groupware. These widgets help learners maintain awareness of other learners ’ locations when their views are separated, of other learners ’ activities in shared and separate view situations, and of other learners ’ past activities.

Abstract: The importance of collaborative and social learning processes is well established, as is the utility of external representations in supporting learners ' active expression, examination and manipulation of their own emerging knowledge. However, research on how computerbased representational tools may support collaborative learning is in its infancy. This paper motivates such a line of research, sketches a theoretical analysis of the roles of constraint and salience in the representational guidance of collaborative learning discourse, and reports on an initial study that compared textual, graphical, and matrix representations. Differences in the predicted direction were observed in the amount of talk about evidential relations and the use of epistemological categories.

The present widespread interest in the use of electronic media for presents an unprecedented opportunity for leveraging the computational medium's strengths for learning. However, existing software tools provide only primitive support for online knowledge-building discourse. Further work is needed in supporting coordinated use of disciplinary representations, discourse representations, and knowledge representations. This paper introduces the concept of representational guidance for discourse along with results of an initial study of this phenomenon in face to face situations. The paper then considers the requirements for supporting asynchronous online knowledge-building discourse, finding existing computer mediated communication tools to be particularly deficient in supporting artifact-centered discourse. A solution is proposed that coordinates discourse representations with disciplinary and knowledge representations. 1. Introduction There is a great deal of interest in the use of el...

The Belvedere software environment was designed to support students engaged in collaborative learning while solving ill-structured problems requiring integration of multiple sources of data to evaluate competing hypotheses or solutions. Students are posed with web-based “science challenge problems,” which present a recent or current debate in science along with on-line articles, data, and suggestions for hands-on data-gathering activities. Students use the Belvedere inquiry-diagramming facility to record hypotheses under consideration, information gathered, and the evidential relations between them. Preliminary studies with Belvedere suggest that the design of representational tools can have a significant effect on the learners’ knowledge-building discourse. However, these effects are insufficiently studied. After several years of laying the groundwork by building and deploying such software, the author and colleagues have begun such an in-depth investigation, examining the effects of textual, diagrammatic and tabular representational tools on the quality of knowledge-building discourse between learners. The paper describes the Belvedere work that led to this position, lays out a research agenda, and describes pilot studies now underway.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a continuing research effort aimed at the design and development of large-scale international computer network connecting schools in at least ten countries throughout Latin America. Toward this end, the University of West Florida and IBM Latin America have initiated a joint partnership called “Quorum: Collaboration without Boundaries. ” The project is large and multifaceted. In addition to providing physical connectivity, it includes teacher training and development of the curriculum material and building advanced software tools necessary to support student collaboration across classrooms and countries. This paper is focused on Project Quorum’s support for collaboration at the knowledge level across classrooms and continents.

This paper outlines empirical and

Researchers have argued that tools for online learning should provide representational support for the conceptual structure of a problem area in order to address issues of coherence and convergence and more effectively support collaborative knowledge construction. The study described in this paper sets out to investigate the merits of knowledge representations and of two alternative ways they may be related to discussion tools: embedded or linked. Analyses conducted to date suggest intriguing process and outcome differences to be investigated in future analyses. The paper also offers a methodological contribution: a paradigm for practical experimental study of asynchronous collaboration. Prior research has focused on face-toface and synchronous collaboration due to the pragmatic problems of conducting asynchronous studies. It is crucial to understand how to support collaborative knowledge construction in asynchronous settings prevalent in online learning.

This paper describes a program of research designed to understand how knowledge-sharing and learning can be supported in virtual communities. To conduct this research, we propose the development of a series of knowledge sharing tools and procedures followed by a rigorous evaluation of the use of these tools in real virtual community environments. The paper starts with a brief examination of relevant theory in knowledge management and learning. This leads to a comprehensive set of research questions. To investigate these questions, we next propose a set of tools for supporting collaboration, knowledge sharing and learning for distributed communities. Evaluation is also a vital element of this research.

ontario institute for studies in education Girls and women remain substantially under-represented in mathematics, science, and technology in school and in the workplace. Although this problem is recognized, its complexity is widely underestimated and causes are not well understood. We review prevailing explanations, which tend to concentrate either on possible gender differentials in qualities such as self-confidence, or on school practices that allow boys to dominate classroom interaction and monopolize such technology as computers. We also identify disadvantageous features of higher education and the workplace. We then consider what is known about educational innovation, especially in the area of gender equity, and describe some interventions concerned with gender and science and technology education. Finally, we raise unresolved questions and issues about gender equity efforts in science and technology education and suggest directions for research. Les filles et les femmes sont nettement sous-représentés en mathématiques, en science et en technologie à l’école et sur le marché du travail. Bien que ce problème soit reconnu, sa complexité est largement sous-estimée et ses causes ne sont pas bien comprises. Les