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