Design of Collaborative Learning Environments: Building Community on the Web
Grant Winners
- Dr. Stan Hannah – Abraham S. Fischler School of Education
- Dr. L. Leanne Lai – College of Pharmacy
- Dr. Laurie Dringus – Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences
- Dr. Lisa Deziel-Evans – College of Pharmacy
- Dr. Thomas Thompson – Abraham S. Fischler School of Education
- Dr. Alan Cohen – Abraham S. Fischler School of Education
- Dr. Madeline Hellman – College of Health Care Sciences
Deans
- H. Wells Singleton – Abraham S. Fischler School of Education
- William Hardigan – College of Pharmacy
- Edward Leiblien – Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences
- Raul Cuadrado – College of Health Care Sciences
Abstract
The conversion of traditional classes to online media has proven surprisingly difficulty. In most cases, instructors have failed to take full advantage of the power of the Internet. As a result, most online courses are merely HTML versions of correspondence courses. In 1965 Douglas Englehart argued that the true power of the net-worked environment was its ability to leverage our intellect. To date, there has been little empirical research on how to construct an online learning community that would realize Englehart's vision. The proposed research project would develop four online sites for graduate students in education, pharmacy, information science, and physical therapy. The sites would be designed specifically to study and test ways in which technology could be used to bring together students and scholars so that they could learn together by sharing their ideas, expertise, and problems.