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Journal of Computer Assisted Learningand teaching in a synchronous environment 129
                           Learning (1999) 15 129–138
                                            15,


Learning and teaching in a synchronous
collaborative environment
O. Marjanovic
Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland


            Abstract Despite obvious domination of asynchronous collaborative
            technologies, especially for virtual classrooms and distance educa-
            tion, the work presented in this paper is based on the assumption
            that some students will still prefer the experience of on-campus, face-
            to-face collaborative learning. For those students a new synchronous
            collaborative environment is created by combining an innovative
            methodology for ‘same-time, same-place’ interactive learning and
            the technology called Group Support Systems which is designed to
            provide not only communication but rather computer-mediated col-
            laboration. This paper introduces this learning methodology and il-
            lustrates its potential to improve critical thinking, problem solving
            and communication skills of all students who are stimulated to par-
            ticipate as equal learners. It also describes how teachers are trans-
            formed from ‘information delivery specialists’ to guides and
            facilitators of learning.

            Keywords: Electronic collaborative learning; Group support sys-
            tems; Synchronous

Introduction
There is growing evidence that collaborative learning methods tend to encour-
age construction of knowledge, ‘deeper’ understanding and greater skill de-
velopment by their ability to engage students dynamically in the learning process
and move them away from the role of spectators in the classroom (Alavi, 1994).
Furthermore, collaborative learning, especially in the face-to-face mode, has an
important social dimension as it gives rise to other positive outcomes which
are not usually considered academic such as self assurance and personal in-
sight (Hodgson & McConnell, 1995).
    However, collaborative learning in the classroom environment is not with-
out problems. For example passive students, students who like to dominate,
students who are reluctant or shy to participate or present their ideas (espe-
cially if they contradict the teacher’s), students not doing any work at the ex-

Accepted: 21 August 1998

Correspondence: Olivera Marjanovic, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineer-
ing, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
                                                     Email: o.marjanovic@mailbox.uq.edu.au




© 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                         Ltd,                                       15,                129
130 O. Marjanovic

pense of other members of the group or students who experience the ‘stage
fright’ every time they are required to present their ideas in front of a live audi-
ence of peers. Furthermore, international students may experience even more
problems (such as isolation from other members of the group, or greater pres-
sure to participate) due to language difficulties as well as different cultural and
educational background (Marjanovic, 1997). It is evident that collaborative work
may present a difficult challenge for teachers (lecturers, tutors, professors) and
many of them have given up on the technique as a result of problems they have
experienced (Cohen, 1994). As Hodgson and McConnell (1995) pointed out,
collaborative learning makes public our own learning, learning of others and
learning of the group. Although that makes collaborative learning a social and
democratic process, one may argue that it also contributes to the problems of
collaborative learners mentioned earlier.
    On the other hand, recent times have seen a greater impact of new informa-
tional technologies on education. One influential category of these new emerg-
ing technologies is the category of technologies for computer-mediated col-
laboration. However, despite the growing popularity of technologies for ‘any-
time, any-place’ collaborative work and flexible delivery, some students will
still prefer the experience of face-to-face collaborative learning in small tutorial
groups. That argument may be further supported by the fact that “collabora-
tive learning is a social phenomenon and not just something which occurs on
one’s own” (Hodgson & McConnell, 1995, p. 211). Furthermore, computer-
mediated communic-ation is as relevant to full-time residential higher educa-
tion as for distance learning (Mason & Kaye, 1989 as cited in Light et al., 1997)
though residential students need a different learning environment from tradi-
tional tutorials which will help them to overcome various objective and subjec-
tive barriers to effective collaborative learning.
    This paper proposes an innovative methodology for interactive learning in
an advanced synchronous electronic environment. The methodology is sup-
ported by Group Support Systems (Jessup & Valacic, 1993; McGrath &
Hollingshead, 1994) designed to provide not only communication but more
importantly computer-mediated collaboration. This technology does not replace
verbal face-to-face communication nor does it allow students to ‘hide’ behind
their computers in the collaborative process. Rather, it supports various active
learning activities that have the potential to improve problem-solving, critical
thinking and communication skills of all students. At this point it is important
to distinguish computer-mediated collaboration as used in this paper from the
‘groupwork around computers’ where students collaborate in the groups of
two to three on the same computer-based problem (see for example: Jackson &
Kutnick, 1996).

Collaborative technologies
Collaborative technologies are information technologies specially designed to sup-
port and enhance human interaction and teamwork. There are two general cat-
egories of such systems: asynchronous and synchronous.




               © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
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Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 131

Asynchronous collaborative technologies enable ‘any-time, any-place’ collabora-
tion providing freedom of time (so learners participate when and if they choose),
opportunities to research and backup assertions, more time for reflection, more
time to phrase the intervention. While asynchronous collaborative systems have
been more dominant in recent times, especially Internet-based conferencing
tools and news groups, they may be more suitable for distance learning than
for the face-to-face classroom environment due to their asynchronous charac-
ter.
     Synchronous collaborative technologies enable ‘same-time, same-place’ or ‘same-
time, any-place’ collaboration providing immediacy, faster planning, problem
solving, scheduling and decision making processes. However, the majority of
synchronous collaborative tools enable communication (such as text-based chat
systems or video teleconferencing) rather than computer-mediated collabora-
tion.
     The most advanced synchronous systems for computer-mediated collabo-
ration are Group Support Systems (also called electronic meeting systems). They
provide a generic set of tools for various collaborative processes such as: gen-
eration and organisation of ideas, evaluation of alternatives and consensus
building, group analysis and multiple-criteria decision making, group writing,
action planning and information management. They are suitable for both ‘same-
time, same-place’ and ‘same-time, any-place’ modes of work.
     In the ‘same-time, same-place’ (or face-to-face) scenario for collaborative
work, all participants have computers which are connected via the local area
network which enables information sharing and exchange. For a group, a cen-
tral public screen is used to focus attention and present the group results. Par-
ticipants enter comments or ideas via their computer. Group support systems
(GSS) enable parallel work so that all participants can work simultaneously
without waiting for their turn. All contributions form an electronic transcript
available to all participants almost immediately either on participants’ screens
and/or on the public screen. In this process, all partic-ipants have an equal
opportunity to contribute because the system provides an egalitarian (anony-
mous) way of working. It is important to point out that anonymity is not also
appreciated or warranted in organisational settings. Furthermore, there is evi-
dence that technology only reinforces existing interaction patterns in an or-
ganisation (Mantovani, 1994). However, this may be less important for student
groups “where evaluation apprehension and conformance pressure are low”
(Jessup & Valacic, 1993, p. 144).
     Furthermore, previous research findings in this area, indicate that the use of
synchronous group support systems within an actual educational environment
has enabled more effective learning practices and improved group perform-
ance and output. For example, the synchronous-based studies presented in
Davenport and McKim (1996) and Butler (1990) have indicated greater improve-
ments in the level of active participation, discussion quality and group dynam-
ics compared to the traditional classroom setting. Other studies also indicated
improvement in self-reported mastery of material, critical thinking and analy-
sis skills (Alavi, 1994; Cerratto & Belisle, 1994).




© 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                     15,
132 O. Marjanovic

However, new learning and teaching methodologies for the face-to-face syn-
chronous collaboration is still in its infancy. As Nunamaker et al. (1997, p. 201)
pointed out:
      “The main difficulty for a teacher new to group support systems is not with
      running the technology — that they appear to learn in three to four days. It is
      that they face a new teaching paradigm that has no support from past experi-
      ence, textbooks, manuals, activity books or any other resources that would
      help them to figure out what to do with the GSS technology”.
The main challenge in that process is to recognise new, unfamiliar capabilities
of the technology and to create new ways of learning/teaching.

New teaching and learning paradigm
The methodology presented in this paper extends the work introduced by
Marjanovic (1995) where collaborative learning is described as a three-phase
process consisting of preparation for collaborative learning, the electronic session
and evaluation of collaborative learning. It is primarily designed for the ‘same-
time, same-place’ collaborative work and its extension to the ‘same-time, any-
place’ scenario is beyond the scope of this paper.

Preparation for collaborative learning
Prior to the actual work in the electronic collaborative classroom, all classes
(electronic sessions) have to be properly prepared. The key role in preparation
is played by a facilitator — a person responsible for the technology and its
proper use. The facilitator works with the teacher and gathers information about
the class to be organised and provides information about technology. When the
teacher becomes confident with technology, s/he may assume the role of a
facilitator as well. Since a collaborative learning activity may be designed in
many ways, the facilitator and the teacher together decide which tools to use
and how to use them. The main challenge in this process is the expertise needed
to combine different tools to design active learning activities that will achieve
intended learning objectives. The underlying assumption is that technology
must fit classroom activities and not vice-versa.
    Also during a preparation phase, all necessary learning resources in the elec-
tronic form such as: lecture notes, instructions, handouts and exercises to be
used during a session are loaded into the system. The final result of the prepa-
ration phase is a learning plan of all classroom activities accompanied by the
list of electronic tools to be used. Note that the plan may also contain ‘manual’
activities for which GSS support is not used e.g. reading of an article. It is im-
portant to note that the plan is very flexible and can be modified during a ses-
sion.
    Prior to the first session, it is necessary to organise a presentation of the
technology and ways in which it may be used. The technology is very ‘user-
friendly’ and even students who don’t have much experience with computers
can easily learn how to use the system. When students feel confident with the
technology, then the next step is to prepare them for collaborative work. It is a
great mistake to assume that students will know how to work together in a



               © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                                    15,
Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 133

constructive and collegiate fashion (Cohen, 1994). The teacher and students
together define the set of norms (or rules) for group behaviour. For example: “If
you don’t understand something type in a question”, “Avoid all comments that
are likely to be misinterpreted by other students”, etc. Therefore, rules are ex-
pressed as explicit instructions. However, rules may be “signalled implicitly
via activities such as asking questions, thereby providing ‘natural’ spaces for
responses of a particular kind (McAteer et al., 197, p. 224). Further, rules also
need to include non-formal aspects of interaction (Lewis, 1997).

Electronic session — collaborative learning
Electronic collaborative learning is a dynamic process guided by the learning
plan. If necessary the plan can be modified. For example it is possible to change
the order of collaborative activities, their duration or even to design and in-
clude new collaborative activities during the session. Students participate by
performing various computer-based activities i.e. they suggest new ideas or
comment on other students’ ideas, organise ideas, analyse the list of alterna-
tives and cast their votes, collaboratively write a report, etc. All student contri-
butions are exchanged and cumulative results may be presented on a public
screen to stimulate further discussion. At the same time a teacher facilitates the
learning process and provides help when needed. It is important to stress again,
that the computer-mediated collaboration is not a substitute for face-to-face
communication.
   Learning activities can be split into several phases to enable off-site work
such as library research and collection of materials. It is also possible to com-
bine the results of various learning sessions and preserve them for future ses-
sions. This reduces the problem of students who after the tutorial remember
something important they “wish they had said in the tutorial” (see for exam-
ple: Light et al., 1997).
   The following are some examples of learning activities that are possible in
the electronic classroom.
Interactive lecturing. While a teacher lectures, students may make silent com-
ments or questions by typing them into the system without disturbing the other
students or interrupting the teacher. All comments and questions are exchanged
and may be projected on the public screen during or at the end of the lecture.
Then the teacher may use the questions and comments to stimulate the discus-
sion with the students and help them find the way to an answer. This learning
activity develops students’ critical thinking skills and overall understanding of
the material which has been presented. By seeing other students’ questions, a
student gets a better perception of his/her own learning level compared to
others.
Group dictionary. This activity enables students to define meaning for new terms
or phrases collaboratively. A teacher may provide an initial list of important
terms. After the presentation of a new topic, students may extend the list with
new terms they didn’t understand during the presentation. Then students try
to define the meaning of new terms by exchanging and discussing various pro-



© 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                     15,
134 O. Marjanovic

posals. In this process the teacher provides guidelines for discussion and con-
textual knowledge. This activity contributes to the students’ understanding of
the materials presented in lectures.
Collaborative problem-based learning. A real life problem is presented to students
and they are challenged to find a solution collaboratively. Students start by
generating a preliminary list of ideas — solutions to the proposed problem.
Each student may enter a new idea and in that way extend the initial list of
solutions or may comment on other students’ ideas. Then the whole list is split
into several different categories where each represents one alternative solution
to the problem. Students may then use one of the electronic voting tools to
further reduce the list of alternatives into, for example, the ‘Top-five’. The next
step may be to define different criteria and evaluate each alternative against
the criteria to obtain the best solution for the problem. Students may work as
one large group or several small groups each investigating alternative solu-
tions. This learning activity is very complex and may take several electronic
sessions. Between the electronic sessions students may collect additional and
relevant materials or interview relevant people. The role of the teacher is to
guide students through the process and help them generate the final solution.
This learning activity contributes to the development of students’ problem solv-
ing and critical thinking skills. Using real problems that students find relevant
and challenging energizes their participation and learning.
Collaborative writing. This activity enables students to write a document (an
essay, a report, a proposal, a plan or a seminar paper) collaboratively. The ini-
tial structure of the document is usually prepared in advance. For example, in
a case of report writing the standard set of sections is used (such as: executive
summary, introduction, body, etc.) while is a case of a non-standard document,
students have to prepare an initial list of sections. The list of sections is pre-
sented on a public screen and all students’ screens. Students work simultane-
ously and each student can pick one of the sections from the list and write one
or more paragraphs. As soon as a student finishes with one section, his/her
contribution is automatically visible to others. All individual contributions are
combined and exchanged. This activity develops students’ critical thinking and
writing skills.
Collaborative exercises. Diametrically opposed to the standard drill-and-practice
exercises designed for individual students, collaborative exercises are designed
for groups of students. Various collaborative exercises such as multiple choice,
yes/no or short answer questions may be easily setup to test a group’s under-
standing after each session. All results are combined and statistically processed.
Each student may compare his/her answer with the group’s answers. When
used in an anonymous way these exercises cannot be used for individual as-
sessment as the individual results cannot be identified from the collective re-
sult. However, students may be asked by a teacher to identify their answers.
These exercises provide an overall insight into group knowledge which is use-
ful for the teacher.




              © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                                   15,
Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 135

Feedback from the students. Each electronic session should finish with an elec-
tronic questionnaire or survey giving students the opportunity to enter their
general comments and observations about the session and to suggest improve-
ments for the future.

Evaluation of collaborative learning
An evaluation phase should follow each electronic session giving the teacher
and the facilitator the opportunity to evaluate all collected results, to discuss
problems and redesign future learning activities, if necessary. For that purpose
an electronic transcript of a session, the survey and questionnaires are valuable
sources of information and suggestions. For example, the electronic transcript
may be used for evaluation of students’ contribution and participation based
on the number of comments, questions raised, the vocabulary used, etc.

Benefits and problems of the proposed methodology
The methodology presented in this paper has been used experimentally for
two semesters mainly in the information systems area. However, it is planned
to extend its application to other subject areas such as accounting, finance and
small business management. Three groups of postgraduate students (on aver-
age 17 students per group) enroled in the subject ‘Distributed Decision Sup-
port Systems’ and used the system on a regular basis for one three-hour session
per week during the whole semester. Other groups of undergraduate and post-
graduate students (enroled in the subjects: ‘Information Systems Analysis’, ‘Ad-
vanced Information Systems Analysis’ and ‘Decision Support Systems’) have
used the system occasionally from two to four three-hour sessions per semes-
ter. One preparatory session was organised for each group of students; this
included presentation of technology and demonstration of all tools as well as
principles of collaborative work. Teachers were introduced to the system by a
two-day training seminar. The technology used was GROUPSYSTEMS devel-
oped by Ventana Corporation.
    The initial results were very encouraging. The level of interaction, partici-
pation in all activities, and the students’ overall results were reported to be
much better than in previous years. In order to identify and better understand
the benefits of the methodology as well as initial problems, various research
methods have been used. These included electronic transcripts of the sessions,
electronic questionnaires and surveys used at the end of each session, inter-
views with students, group discussions, observations of teachers and facilitators
as well as formal teaching evaluations at the end of each semester. The major
results can be summarised as follows:

Learners’ perspectives
Learning experience. All student comments about their overall learning experi-
ence were very positive; for example, several students reported that ‘learning




© 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                     15,
136 O. Marjanovic

was fun!’. The majority of students reported that their problem solving skills,
critical thinking and especially written communication skills were consider-
ably improved. Anonymity provided by the technology was identified as very
important. The importance and value of one idea was measured on its own
merit, not by the person who suggested the idea. International students re-
ported that anonymity enabled them to participate as equal participants in spite
of their language difficulties and differences in cultural and educational back-
ground although some of them commented that they sometimes needed more
time to complete the required activity. Students had few problem with the tech-
nology but they appreciated help provided by a facilitator or a teacher during
the electronic session. Many students reported the importance of team spirit
and mutual respect created by electronic collaborative learning.
Preparation for collaborative learning. To be able to participate effectively in an
electronic session, students should have a basic understanding of various col-
laborative tools as well as principles of teamwork and intercultural communi-
cations. The purpose of the preparatory session was to equip students with
these skills.
    Furthermore, students are also required to prepare for each session. Prepa-
ration typically includes reading a chapter from a textbook, collection of rel-
evant learning resources (e.g. journal or magazine articles, Internet materials,
preparation of a short report or a list of questions). Students reported that this
electronic collaborative learning requires much more preparation for each elec-
tronic session than for a traditional tutorial. As they commented “it was more
obvious when we were not properly prepared” and “we couldn’t just turn-up
and ‘free-ride’”. Though a few students reported that preparation for each ses-
sion could be a problem (because “it took long time to prepare”), it made the
learning process more effective and it was beneficial in the long term.
Student expectations. After analysing students’ comments and suggestions, it
became evident that electronic collaborative learning had increased their ex-
pectations about the quality and versatility of the learning process. For exam-
ple, students who used the system on regular basis, came to expect new and
different activities. Also, the majority of students commented that they would
like to use this way of learning in other subject areas as well.

Teacher’s perspectives
Teaching experience. From a teacher’s perspective, the methodology enabled more
interactions with students. Teaching was no longer one-way but became more
of a two-way discussion. In addition to basic technical skills, teachers are re-
quired to have good problem solving and team management skills. Although
one could argue that these skills are also required in the traditional environ-
ment, electronic collaborative learning emphasises their importance. For ex-
ample, during the planning phase teachers should combine different collabo-
rative activities to achieve learning objectives, and then during the session the
teacher should be ready, if necessary, to adjust an initial learning plan for each




               © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                                    15,
Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 137

individual group of learners, e.g. change duration and order of various activi-
ties and to include new ones.
    Furthermore, basic computing skills and a sound understanding of collabo-
rative tools are important. Although the teachers surveyed didn’t report any
technical problems, it could be envisaged that when teachers from other non-
technical areas become involved, good technical support will become crucial.
Also, based on teachers’ comments, it became clear that an initial training ses-
sion was not sufficient, as they needed on-going support sessions to exchange
ideas about new learning activities.
    As the teacher gets immediate feedback from the students and s/he can
adjust the learning activities to target the problems identified. For example, the
technology provides different tools for analysing a student’s participation and
a teacher may analyse the nature and the number of comments, questions asked
and the frequency of participation. However, teachers needed new evaluation
methods and tools which would help them to evaluate the student comments.
    Anonymity, although a great benefit, may also be a potential source of prob-
lems for teachers as well as for some students. Having the opportunity to ex-
press anything at all anonymously, may result in student misuse. Although it
did happened few times (and the facilitator had to delete several inappropriate
comments so they were not projected on the public screen), teachers didn’t
identify it as a problem.
Preparation for collaborative work. This methodology requires much more detailed
preparation than traditional teaching and it has little support available from
previous experience. Additional time is required to set-up exercises, meet with
the facilitator, test the teaching and learning plan and evaluate the results. As
expected, teachers reported that the biggest problem was the lack of teaching
resources such as study guides and activity books that would help them to
redesign their teaching curricula to include new collaborative activities.
Teaching paradigm. Electronic collaborative learning requires teachers to rethink
and change their own assumptions about the teaching and learning process.
This may be a very powerful barrier for some teachers as they will have diffi-
culties in not thinking of themselves as ‘information-delivery specialists’ in-
stead of participants and guides in the learning process (Nunamaker, 1997). It
is clear, that teachers need time and very good support to understand and ac-
cept the new more powerful role they play in the electronic collaborative class-
room.

Conclusion
This paper describes an interactive methodology for learning and teaching in a
synchronous electronic collaborative environment. The methodology, combined
with Groups Support System collaborative technology, has the potential to im-
prove students’ problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills.
However, further research into the area of synchronous collaborative learning




© 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                     15,
138 O. Marjanovic

is necessary to understand collaborative processes and design better method-
ologies.
    Another more important problem is the recognition of the new way of teach-
ing and learning. This is not a simple process. However, rather than adopting
old teaching methods along with new information technologies, it is necessary
to investigate new previously unknown possibilities offered by new technolo-
gies and design new methodologies for learning and teaching. The approach
presented here may be one possible direction to follow.

References
Alavi, M. (1994) Computer-Mediated Collaborative Learning: An Empirical Evalua-
    tion. MIS Quarterly, 18 3. 159-174.
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Butler, W. (1990) The Construction of Knowledge in an Electronic Discourse Community.
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Cerratto, T. & Belisle, C. (1995) Reframing Learning in CSCL Environments. Conference
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Cohen, E.G. (1994) Designing Groupwork Strategies for Heterogeneous Classroom. Teachers
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Davenport, E. & McKim, G. (1996) Groupware in LIS Education. Working Paper, Commu-
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Hodgson, V. & McConnell, D. (1995) Co-operative learning and development networks.
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Jackson, A. & Kutnick, P. (1996) Groupwork and computers: task type and children’s
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Light, P., Colbourn, C. & Light, V. (1997) Computer mediated tutorial support for con-
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                © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138
                                                                                     15,

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457 a4d01

  • 1. Journal of Computer Assisted Learningand teaching in a synchronous environment 129 Learning (1999) 15 129–138 15, Learning and teaching in a synchronous collaborative environment O. Marjanovic Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland Abstract Despite obvious domination of asynchronous collaborative technologies, especially for virtual classrooms and distance educa- tion, the work presented in this paper is based on the assumption that some students will still prefer the experience of on-campus, face- to-face collaborative learning. For those students a new synchronous collaborative environment is created by combining an innovative methodology for ‘same-time, same-place’ interactive learning and the technology called Group Support Systems which is designed to provide not only communication but rather computer-mediated col- laboration. This paper introduces this learning methodology and il- lustrates its potential to improve critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills of all students who are stimulated to par- ticipate as equal learners. It also describes how teachers are trans- formed from ‘information delivery specialists’ to guides and facilitators of learning. Keywords: Electronic collaborative learning; Group support sys- tems; Synchronous Introduction There is growing evidence that collaborative learning methods tend to encour- age construction of knowledge, ‘deeper’ understanding and greater skill de- velopment by their ability to engage students dynamically in the learning process and move them away from the role of spectators in the classroom (Alavi, 1994). Furthermore, collaborative learning, especially in the face-to-face mode, has an important social dimension as it gives rise to other positive outcomes which are not usually considered academic such as self assurance and personal in- sight (Hodgson & McConnell, 1995). However, collaborative learning in the classroom environment is not with- out problems. For example passive students, students who like to dominate, students who are reluctant or shy to participate or present their ideas (espe- cially if they contradict the teacher’s), students not doing any work at the ex- Accepted: 21 August 1998 Correspondence: Olivera Marjanovic, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineer- ing, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia Email: o.marjanovic@mailbox.uq.edu.au © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 Ltd, 15, 129
  • 2. 130 O. Marjanovic pense of other members of the group or students who experience the ‘stage fright’ every time they are required to present their ideas in front of a live audi- ence of peers. Furthermore, international students may experience even more problems (such as isolation from other members of the group, or greater pres- sure to participate) due to language difficulties as well as different cultural and educational background (Marjanovic, 1997). It is evident that collaborative work may present a difficult challenge for teachers (lecturers, tutors, professors) and many of them have given up on the technique as a result of problems they have experienced (Cohen, 1994). As Hodgson and McConnell (1995) pointed out, collaborative learning makes public our own learning, learning of others and learning of the group. Although that makes collaborative learning a social and democratic process, one may argue that it also contributes to the problems of collaborative learners mentioned earlier. On the other hand, recent times have seen a greater impact of new informa- tional technologies on education. One influential category of these new emerg- ing technologies is the category of technologies for computer-mediated col- laboration. However, despite the growing popularity of technologies for ‘any- time, any-place’ collaborative work and flexible delivery, some students will still prefer the experience of face-to-face collaborative learning in small tutorial groups. That argument may be further supported by the fact that “collabora- tive learning is a social phenomenon and not just something which occurs on one’s own” (Hodgson & McConnell, 1995, p. 211). Furthermore, computer- mediated communic-ation is as relevant to full-time residential higher educa- tion as for distance learning (Mason & Kaye, 1989 as cited in Light et al., 1997) though residential students need a different learning environment from tradi- tional tutorials which will help them to overcome various objective and subjec- tive barriers to effective collaborative learning. This paper proposes an innovative methodology for interactive learning in an advanced synchronous electronic environment. The methodology is sup- ported by Group Support Systems (Jessup & Valacic, 1993; McGrath & Hollingshead, 1994) designed to provide not only communication but more importantly computer-mediated collaboration. This technology does not replace verbal face-to-face communication nor does it allow students to ‘hide’ behind their computers in the collaborative process. Rather, it supports various active learning activities that have the potential to improve problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills of all students. At this point it is important to distinguish computer-mediated collaboration as used in this paper from the ‘groupwork around computers’ where students collaborate in the groups of two to three on the same computer-based problem (see for example: Jackson & Kutnick, 1996). Collaborative technologies Collaborative technologies are information technologies specially designed to sup- port and enhance human interaction and teamwork. There are two general cat- egories of such systems: asynchronous and synchronous. © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 3. Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 131 Asynchronous collaborative technologies enable ‘any-time, any-place’ collabora- tion providing freedom of time (so learners participate when and if they choose), opportunities to research and backup assertions, more time for reflection, more time to phrase the intervention. While asynchronous collaborative systems have been more dominant in recent times, especially Internet-based conferencing tools and news groups, they may be more suitable for distance learning than for the face-to-face classroom environment due to their asynchronous charac- ter. Synchronous collaborative technologies enable ‘same-time, same-place’ or ‘same- time, any-place’ collaboration providing immediacy, faster planning, problem solving, scheduling and decision making processes. However, the majority of synchronous collaborative tools enable communication (such as text-based chat systems or video teleconferencing) rather than computer-mediated collabora- tion. The most advanced synchronous systems for computer-mediated collabo- ration are Group Support Systems (also called electronic meeting systems). They provide a generic set of tools for various collaborative processes such as: gen- eration and organisation of ideas, evaluation of alternatives and consensus building, group analysis and multiple-criteria decision making, group writing, action planning and information management. They are suitable for both ‘same- time, same-place’ and ‘same-time, any-place’ modes of work. In the ‘same-time, same-place’ (or face-to-face) scenario for collaborative work, all participants have computers which are connected via the local area network which enables information sharing and exchange. For a group, a cen- tral public screen is used to focus attention and present the group results. Par- ticipants enter comments or ideas via their computer. Group support systems (GSS) enable parallel work so that all participants can work simultaneously without waiting for their turn. All contributions form an electronic transcript available to all participants almost immediately either on participants’ screens and/or on the public screen. In this process, all partic-ipants have an equal opportunity to contribute because the system provides an egalitarian (anony- mous) way of working. It is important to point out that anonymity is not also appreciated or warranted in organisational settings. Furthermore, there is evi- dence that technology only reinforces existing interaction patterns in an or- ganisation (Mantovani, 1994). However, this may be less important for student groups “where evaluation apprehension and conformance pressure are low” (Jessup & Valacic, 1993, p. 144). Furthermore, previous research findings in this area, indicate that the use of synchronous group support systems within an actual educational environment has enabled more effective learning practices and improved group perform- ance and output. For example, the synchronous-based studies presented in Davenport and McKim (1996) and Butler (1990) have indicated greater improve- ments in the level of active participation, discussion quality and group dynam- ics compared to the traditional classroom setting. Other studies also indicated improvement in self-reported mastery of material, critical thinking and analy- sis skills (Alavi, 1994; Cerratto & Belisle, 1994). © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 4. 132 O. Marjanovic However, new learning and teaching methodologies for the face-to-face syn- chronous collaboration is still in its infancy. As Nunamaker et al. (1997, p. 201) pointed out: “The main difficulty for a teacher new to group support systems is not with running the technology — that they appear to learn in three to four days. It is that they face a new teaching paradigm that has no support from past experi- ence, textbooks, manuals, activity books or any other resources that would help them to figure out what to do with the GSS technology”. The main challenge in that process is to recognise new, unfamiliar capabilities of the technology and to create new ways of learning/teaching. New teaching and learning paradigm The methodology presented in this paper extends the work introduced by Marjanovic (1995) where collaborative learning is described as a three-phase process consisting of preparation for collaborative learning, the electronic session and evaluation of collaborative learning. It is primarily designed for the ‘same- time, same-place’ collaborative work and its extension to the ‘same-time, any- place’ scenario is beyond the scope of this paper. Preparation for collaborative learning Prior to the actual work in the electronic collaborative classroom, all classes (electronic sessions) have to be properly prepared. The key role in preparation is played by a facilitator — a person responsible for the technology and its proper use. The facilitator works with the teacher and gathers information about the class to be organised and provides information about technology. When the teacher becomes confident with technology, s/he may assume the role of a facilitator as well. Since a collaborative learning activity may be designed in many ways, the facilitator and the teacher together decide which tools to use and how to use them. The main challenge in this process is the expertise needed to combine different tools to design active learning activities that will achieve intended learning objectives. The underlying assumption is that technology must fit classroom activities and not vice-versa. Also during a preparation phase, all necessary learning resources in the elec- tronic form such as: lecture notes, instructions, handouts and exercises to be used during a session are loaded into the system. The final result of the prepa- ration phase is a learning plan of all classroom activities accompanied by the list of electronic tools to be used. Note that the plan may also contain ‘manual’ activities for which GSS support is not used e.g. reading of an article. It is im- portant to note that the plan is very flexible and can be modified during a ses- sion. Prior to the first session, it is necessary to organise a presentation of the technology and ways in which it may be used. The technology is very ‘user- friendly’ and even students who don’t have much experience with computers can easily learn how to use the system. When students feel confident with the technology, then the next step is to prepare them for collaborative work. It is a great mistake to assume that students will know how to work together in a © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 5. Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 133 constructive and collegiate fashion (Cohen, 1994). The teacher and students together define the set of norms (or rules) for group behaviour. For example: “If you don’t understand something type in a question”, “Avoid all comments that are likely to be misinterpreted by other students”, etc. Therefore, rules are ex- pressed as explicit instructions. However, rules may be “signalled implicitly via activities such as asking questions, thereby providing ‘natural’ spaces for responses of a particular kind (McAteer et al., 197, p. 224). Further, rules also need to include non-formal aspects of interaction (Lewis, 1997). Electronic session — collaborative learning Electronic collaborative learning is a dynamic process guided by the learning plan. If necessary the plan can be modified. For example it is possible to change the order of collaborative activities, their duration or even to design and in- clude new collaborative activities during the session. Students participate by performing various computer-based activities i.e. they suggest new ideas or comment on other students’ ideas, organise ideas, analyse the list of alterna- tives and cast their votes, collaboratively write a report, etc. All student contri- butions are exchanged and cumulative results may be presented on a public screen to stimulate further discussion. At the same time a teacher facilitates the learning process and provides help when needed. It is important to stress again, that the computer-mediated collaboration is not a substitute for face-to-face communication. Learning activities can be split into several phases to enable off-site work such as library research and collection of materials. It is also possible to com- bine the results of various learning sessions and preserve them for future ses- sions. This reduces the problem of students who after the tutorial remember something important they “wish they had said in the tutorial” (see for exam- ple: Light et al., 1997). The following are some examples of learning activities that are possible in the electronic classroom. Interactive lecturing. While a teacher lectures, students may make silent com- ments or questions by typing them into the system without disturbing the other students or interrupting the teacher. All comments and questions are exchanged and may be projected on the public screen during or at the end of the lecture. Then the teacher may use the questions and comments to stimulate the discus- sion with the students and help them find the way to an answer. This learning activity develops students’ critical thinking skills and overall understanding of the material which has been presented. By seeing other students’ questions, a student gets a better perception of his/her own learning level compared to others. Group dictionary. This activity enables students to define meaning for new terms or phrases collaboratively. A teacher may provide an initial list of important terms. After the presentation of a new topic, students may extend the list with new terms they didn’t understand during the presentation. Then students try to define the meaning of new terms by exchanging and discussing various pro- © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 6. 134 O. Marjanovic posals. In this process the teacher provides guidelines for discussion and con- textual knowledge. This activity contributes to the students’ understanding of the materials presented in lectures. Collaborative problem-based learning. A real life problem is presented to students and they are challenged to find a solution collaboratively. Students start by generating a preliminary list of ideas — solutions to the proposed problem. Each student may enter a new idea and in that way extend the initial list of solutions or may comment on other students’ ideas. Then the whole list is split into several different categories where each represents one alternative solution to the problem. Students may then use one of the electronic voting tools to further reduce the list of alternatives into, for example, the ‘Top-five’. The next step may be to define different criteria and evaluate each alternative against the criteria to obtain the best solution for the problem. Students may work as one large group or several small groups each investigating alternative solu- tions. This learning activity is very complex and may take several electronic sessions. Between the electronic sessions students may collect additional and relevant materials or interview relevant people. The role of the teacher is to guide students through the process and help them generate the final solution. This learning activity contributes to the development of students’ problem solv- ing and critical thinking skills. Using real problems that students find relevant and challenging energizes their participation and learning. Collaborative writing. This activity enables students to write a document (an essay, a report, a proposal, a plan or a seminar paper) collaboratively. The ini- tial structure of the document is usually prepared in advance. For example, in a case of report writing the standard set of sections is used (such as: executive summary, introduction, body, etc.) while is a case of a non-standard document, students have to prepare an initial list of sections. The list of sections is pre- sented on a public screen and all students’ screens. Students work simultane- ously and each student can pick one of the sections from the list and write one or more paragraphs. As soon as a student finishes with one section, his/her contribution is automatically visible to others. All individual contributions are combined and exchanged. This activity develops students’ critical thinking and writing skills. Collaborative exercises. Diametrically opposed to the standard drill-and-practice exercises designed for individual students, collaborative exercises are designed for groups of students. Various collaborative exercises such as multiple choice, yes/no or short answer questions may be easily setup to test a group’s under- standing after each session. All results are combined and statistically processed. Each student may compare his/her answer with the group’s answers. When used in an anonymous way these exercises cannot be used for individual as- sessment as the individual results cannot be identified from the collective re- sult. However, students may be asked by a teacher to identify their answers. These exercises provide an overall insight into group knowledge which is use- ful for the teacher. © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 7. Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 135 Feedback from the students. Each electronic session should finish with an elec- tronic questionnaire or survey giving students the opportunity to enter their general comments and observations about the session and to suggest improve- ments for the future. Evaluation of collaborative learning An evaluation phase should follow each electronic session giving the teacher and the facilitator the opportunity to evaluate all collected results, to discuss problems and redesign future learning activities, if necessary. For that purpose an electronic transcript of a session, the survey and questionnaires are valuable sources of information and suggestions. For example, the electronic transcript may be used for evaluation of students’ contribution and participation based on the number of comments, questions raised, the vocabulary used, etc. Benefits and problems of the proposed methodology The methodology presented in this paper has been used experimentally for two semesters mainly in the information systems area. However, it is planned to extend its application to other subject areas such as accounting, finance and small business management. Three groups of postgraduate students (on aver- age 17 students per group) enroled in the subject ‘Distributed Decision Sup- port Systems’ and used the system on a regular basis for one three-hour session per week during the whole semester. Other groups of undergraduate and post- graduate students (enroled in the subjects: ‘Information Systems Analysis’, ‘Ad- vanced Information Systems Analysis’ and ‘Decision Support Systems’) have used the system occasionally from two to four three-hour sessions per semes- ter. One preparatory session was organised for each group of students; this included presentation of technology and demonstration of all tools as well as principles of collaborative work. Teachers were introduced to the system by a two-day training seminar. The technology used was GROUPSYSTEMS devel- oped by Ventana Corporation. The initial results were very encouraging. The level of interaction, partici- pation in all activities, and the students’ overall results were reported to be much better than in previous years. In order to identify and better understand the benefits of the methodology as well as initial problems, various research methods have been used. These included electronic transcripts of the sessions, electronic questionnaires and surveys used at the end of each session, inter- views with students, group discussions, observations of teachers and facilitators as well as formal teaching evaluations at the end of each semester. The major results can be summarised as follows: Learners’ perspectives Learning experience. All student comments about their overall learning experi- ence were very positive; for example, several students reported that ‘learning © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 8. 136 O. Marjanovic was fun!’. The majority of students reported that their problem solving skills, critical thinking and especially written communication skills were consider- ably improved. Anonymity provided by the technology was identified as very important. The importance and value of one idea was measured on its own merit, not by the person who suggested the idea. International students re- ported that anonymity enabled them to participate as equal participants in spite of their language difficulties and differences in cultural and educational back- ground although some of them commented that they sometimes needed more time to complete the required activity. Students had few problem with the tech- nology but they appreciated help provided by a facilitator or a teacher during the electronic session. Many students reported the importance of team spirit and mutual respect created by electronic collaborative learning. Preparation for collaborative learning. To be able to participate effectively in an electronic session, students should have a basic understanding of various col- laborative tools as well as principles of teamwork and intercultural communi- cations. The purpose of the preparatory session was to equip students with these skills. Furthermore, students are also required to prepare for each session. Prepa- ration typically includes reading a chapter from a textbook, collection of rel- evant learning resources (e.g. journal or magazine articles, Internet materials, preparation of a short report or a list of questions). Students reported that this electronic collaborative learning requires much more preparation for each elec- tronic session than for a traditional tutorial. As they commented “it was more obvious when we were not properly prepared” and “we couldn’t just turn-up and ‘free-ride’”. Though a few students reported that preparation for each ses- sion could be a problem (because “it took long time to prepare”), it made the learning process more effective and it was beneficial in the long term. Student expectations. After analysing students’ comments and suggestions, it became evident that electronic collaborative learning had increased their ex- pectations about the quality and versatility of the learning process. For exam- ple, students who used the system on regular basis, came to expect new and different activities. Also, the majority of students commented that they would like to use this way of learning in other subject areas as well. Teacher’s perspectives Teaching experience. From a teacher’s perspective, the methodology enabled more interactions with students. Teaching was no longer one-way but became more of a two-way discussion. In addition to basic technical skills, teachers are re- quired to have good problem solving and team management skills. Although one could argue that these skills are also required in the traditional environ- ment, electronic collaborative learning emphasises their importance. For ex- ample, during the planning phase teachers should combine different collabo- rative activities to achieve learning objectives, and then during the session the teacher should be ready, if necessary, to adjust an initial learning plan for each © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 9. Learning and teaching in a synchronous environment 137 individual group of learners, e.g. change duration and order of various activi- ties and to include new ones. Furthermore, basic computing skills and a sound understanding of collabo- rative tools are important. Although the teachers surveyed didn’t report any technical problems, it could be envisaged that when teachers from other non- technical areas become involved, good technical support will become crucial. Also, based on teachers’ comments, it became clear that an initial training ses- sion was not sufficient, as they needed on-going support sessions to exchange ideas about new learning activities. As the teacher gets immediate feedback from the students and s/he can adjust the learning activities to target the problems identified. For example, the technology provides different tools for analysing a student’s participation and a teacher may analyse the nature and the number of comments, questions asked and the frequency of participation. However, teachers needed new evaluation methods and tools which would help them to evaluate the student comments. Anonymity, although a great benefit, may also be a potential source of prob- lems for teachers as well as for some students. Having the opportunity to ex- press anything at all anonymously, may result in student misuse. Although it did happened few times (and the facilitator had to delete several inappropriate comments so they were not projected on the public screen), teachers didn’t identify it as a problem. Preparation for collaborative work. This methodology requires much more detailed preparation than traditional teaching and it has little support available from previous experience. Additional time is required to set-up exercises, meet with the facilitator, test the teaching and learning plan and evaluate the results. As expected, teachers reported that the biggest problem was the lack of teaching resources such as study guides and activity books that would help them to redesign their teaching curricula to include new collaborative activities. Teaching paradigm. Electronic collaborative learning requires teachers to rethink and change their own assumptions about the teaching and learning process. This may be a very powerful barrier for some teachers as they will have diffi- culties in not thinking of themselves as ‘information-delivery specialists’ in- stead of participants and guides in the learning process (Nunamaker, 1997). It is clear, that teachers need time and very good support to understand and ac- cept the new more powerful role they play in the electronic collaborative class- room. Conclusion This paper describes an interactive methodology for learning and teaching in a synchronous electronic collaborative environment. The methodology, combined with Groups Support System collaborative technology, has the potential to im- prove students’ problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills. However, further research into the area of synchronous collaborative learning © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,
  • 10. 138 O. Marjanovic is necessary to understand collaborative processes and design better method- ologies. Another more important problem is the recognition of the new way of teach- ing and learning. This is not a simple process. However, rather than adopting old teaching methods along with new information technologies, it is necessary to investigate new previously unknown possibilities offered by new technolo- gies and design new methodologies for learning and teaching. The approach presented here may be one possible direction to follow. References Alavi, M. (1994) Computer-Mediated Collaborative Learning: An Empirical Evalua- tion. MIS Quarterly, 18 3. 159-174. 18, Butler, W. (1990) The Construction of Knowledge in an Electronic Discourse Community. Working Paper, University of Texas. Cerratto, T. & Belisle, C. (1995) Reframing Learning in CSCL Environments. Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning. Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates, Indiana. http://www-cscl95.indiana.edu/cscl95/cerratto.html Cohen, E.G. (1994) Designing Groupwork Strategies for Heterogeneous Classroom. Teachers College Press, New York. Davenport, E. & McKim, G. (1996) Groupware in LIS Education. Working Paper, Commu- nication and Information Studies Department, Queen Margaret College, UK. Hodgson, V. & McConnell, D. (1995) Co-operative learning and development networks. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 11, 4, 210-224. Jackson, A. & Kutnick, P. (1996) Groupwork and computers: task type and children’s performance. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 12 3, 162-171. 12, Jessup, L.M. & Valacic, J.S. (1993) Group Support Systems: New Perspectives. Maximillian Publishing Company, U.S. Lewis, R. (1997) An Activity Theory framework to explore distributed communities. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 13 4, 210-218. 13, Light, P., Colbourn, C. & Light, V. (1997) Computer mediated tutorial support for con- ventional university courses. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 13 4, 228-235. 13, Mantovani, G. (1994) Is Computer-mediated communication intrinsically apt to en- hance democracy in organizations? Human Relations, 47 1, 45-62. 47, Marjanovic, O. (1997) Teaching International Students in the Electronic Collaborative Classroom. Proceedings of the 8th Annual Conference, ISANA’98. International Educa- tion: In it Together, p. 94-104. Melbourne, Australia. International Student Advisers’ Network of Australia. Marjanovic, O., Cecez-Kecmanovic, D. & Bonner, R. (1995) Electronic Collaborative Class- room. Proceedings of the Conference: ASCILITE’95 - Learning With Technology. ASCILITE, Melbourne McAteer, E., Tolmie, A. Duffy, C. & Corbett, J. (1997) Computer-mediated communica- tion as a learning resource. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 13 4, 219-227. 13, McGrath, J.E. & Hollingshead, A.B. (1994) Groups interacting with technology: Ideas, evi- dence, and an agenda. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Nunamaker, J.F., Briggs, R.O., Mittleman, D.D., Vogel, D.R. & Balthazard, P.A. (1997) Lessons from Dozen Years of Group Support Systems Research: A Discussion of Lab and Field Findings. Journal of Management Information Systems, 13 3, 163-207. 13, © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 15 129–138 15,