Collaborative Course Research Articles

University/College Cooperation in Course Development: Synchronous Collaborative Teaching/Learning in Advanced Engineering in Taiwan

A synchronous cooperation model between institutes of higher learning for course development was implemented at the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and at the Far East College (FEC) in Taiwan. Synchronous computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) tools such as videoconferencing, application sharing, electronic whiteboard, and file transfer, through hybrid ISDN/Internet network services, were adopted for communication, coordination, and sharing of knowledge and equipment in two joint engineering laboratory course: ‘Remote collaborative reverse engineering’, based at the FEC, and ‘Computer-integrated manufacturing’, based at the NCKU. The major teaching objective of both courses was to present examples of complete industrial processes, rather than to demonstrate the hardware and software used to support the presentation between the two institutions. These industrial examples were presented synchronously and interactively to students at both the FEC and the NCKU to illustrate the importance of knowledge sharing and device integration with diverse synchronous CSCW methods. The industrial processes related to mold design and the forging of a metal part. The framework of the layered, synchronous, collaborative course presentation described in this paper also applies to the collaborative course development model, which has advantages over conventional engineering laboratory courses. The adoption of this model will relieve the cost of investment in teaching resources and equipment, as these may thereby be shared between institutions. The model has proved both feasible and extensible.

Using Internationally Collaborative Case Studies to Teach Intermediate Microeconomics

Described is an internationally collaborative course project that was added to an intermediate microeconomics course. Students at a US university were paired with students at a Peruvian university to collaborate on a semester-long project. The project required students to use microeconomic tools to comparatively analyze the market for milk in both countries, including demand and supply determinants and market equilibrium outcomes. Students collaborated using Blackboard, video-conferencing, email and instant messenger. An outline of the project is presented, learning objectives are evaluated, and suggestions for implementation at other universities are made. Potential pitfalls are discussed. We believe that the ideas of international student collaboration and extensive case studies could be modified to fit different courses, and therefore the structure, procedure, and evaluation may prove generally interesting. JEL Codes: A1, A22

Teaching Social Science Reasoning and Quantitative Literacy: The Role of Collaborative Groups

In this paper, we discuss ways collaborative research groups can be used and what students appear to learn about social science reasoning and quantitative literacy from such groups. Data are from field observations, pre- and post-semester surveys in both collaborative and traditional courses, end of the semester student comments, and student work on semester-long group-based projects. The findings illuminate teaching and learning processes, cognitive and personal learning outcomes, and remaining challenges. Students resist having to work in groups, while simultaneously becoming attached to their group and acknowledging its importance. In the end, many students see the importance of both social science reasoning and quantitative skills and demonstrate the ability to articulate key components of both. Challenges that remain include more specific measures of particular skills, potential group conflicts, and active learning within a culture of consumerism and entitlement.

Collaborative Teaching Models for Health Professionals

Multidisciplinary faculty collaboration within the health professions educational system is explored. The definitions for the concepts of intradisciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary faculty teams are provided along with the strengths and weaknesses of collaborative teaching and course development across various health profession programs. Examples of these teaching models are described using case studies to illustrate collaborative course development by faculty from Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Social Work and Dental Hygiene, Nurse Anesthesia, and Health Services Management programs offered at the University of New England in Portland, Maine, United States of America.

Collaborative Teaching Models for Health Professionals

Multidisciplinary faculty collaboration within the health professions educational system is explored. The definitions for the concepts of intradisciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary faculty teams are provided along with the strengths and weaknesses of collaborative teaching and course development across various health profession programs. Examples of these teaching models are described using case studies to illustrate collaborative course development by faculty from Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Social Work and Dental Hygiene, Nurse Anesthesia, and Health Services Management programs offered at the University of New England in Portland, Maine, United States of America.

Developing Collaborative Cyber Communities to Prepare Tomorrow's Teachers

Abstract: Computer‐mediated exchange and interaction have become topics of debate and discussion in the past several years due to the growing interest in synchronous and asynchronous communication and their role in language acquisition, learning, and teaching (Liu, Moore, Graham, & Lee, 2002). This article offers a model for a collaborative course on Technology in Foreign Language Education (TITLE) that is built around computer‐mediated discussion. The graduate seminar, designed and taught collaboratively at the University of South Carolina and the University of Florida, allows students to experience the benefits and challenges of virtual communication as they engage in discussions about the theoretical and practical interface of pedagogy and technology in language teaching. Course components, such as chat, e‐portfolios, multi‐user object oriented domains (MOOs), an electronic discussion board, and virtual guests are discussed and the outcomes of the seminar are highlighted in terms of student gains.

The study designed by a committee: Design of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project

Abstract This article describes the research design of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project (MVPP), organized and funded by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC's objectives, refined in the course of collaboration among investigators, were to evaluate the efficacy of universal and targeted interventions designed to produce change at the school level. The project's design was developed collaboratively, and is a 2 × 2 cluster-randomized true experimental design in which schools within four separate sites were assigned randomly to four conditions: (1) no-intervention control group, (2) universal intervention, (3) targeted intervention, and (4) combined universal and targeted interventions. A total of 37 schools are participating in this study with 8–12 schools per site. The impact of the interventions on two successive cohorts of sixth-grade students will be assessed based on multiple waves of data from multiple sources of information, including teachers, students, parents, and archival data. The nesting of students within teachers, families, schools and sites created a number of challenges for designing and implementing the study. The final design represents both resolution and compromise on a number of creative tensions existing in large-scale prevention trials, including tensions between cost and statistical power, and between internal and external validity. Strengths and limitations of the final design are discussed.

Web based support for collaborative course design and teaching among university faculties

We present here the type of collaborative support tool to the development of which we participate and which we are currently testing between a network of management schools. The tool we focus on is EDUCANEXT, a web based platform allowing the exchange of digitalised learning resources and learning activities and the support of group work in designing and teaching joint virtual courses. This service is based mainly on the software developed during the European project UNIVERSAL. The usefulness and key design ideas of the software are introduced as well as the its main functions and specific problems raised by an academic environment. We present the way a sophisticate learning resources developed using a knowledge-based Decision Support System (DSS) is being shared throughout the network.

The involvement of service users in the assessment of Diploma in Social Work students on practice placements

The government, local authorities and academic institutions in the United Kingdom all positively support the involvement of service users in social work practice and education. Based upon research undertaken for a Master's dissertation, this article argues for such an inclusive approach. The author works for the Training and Development Services of an English Social and Caring Services department, which delivers a Diploma in Social Work course in collaboration with the local university college. This course began to incorporate service users' views in the assessment of students on practice placements in the mid-1990s. This was a helpful development, although areas of ambiguity and difficulty became apparent, as did a lack of clarity and consistency in the implementation of the process. A qualitative survey of the views of practice teachers was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews, which focussed on the main principles, issues and practical implications of service user involvement in the assessment of DipSW students. The article offers a summary of the findings of the survey, and a critical discussion of the main issues and difficulties that emerged. Some recommendations are made for the course that the author is associated with, although they would probably apply to most DipSW courses in the United Kingdom. The author is male, white and British.

Teaching Teachers to Teach

Abstract In June 2000, the Illinois State Board of Education adopted new state standards for all accredited teacher education programs. Professional certification programs must demonstrate compliance to the standards by July 2003. Library faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University partnered with the Educational Studies department to address the Core Technology Standards for information access, research, and information literacy through curriculum development. The program includes a combination of an information literacy pre-test, a self-paced, open source Web tutorial, traditional library instruction sessions, one-on-one student-librarian consultations with student teachers, and collaborative course design. The overall goal of the program is to improve librarian-teacher cooperation through instruction in the information literacy skills outlined in the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, and to mentor pre-service teachers in practical methods of integrating information literacy ins...

The Use of Distance Education in a Collaborative Course in Early Childhood Special Education

Eight faculty members from five different campuses across the state of Wisconsin collaboratively taught a seminar course in early childhood special education through distance education technologies. A description of the course development and implementation is provided followed by summaries of the qualitative and quantitative analyses of student and faculty data. While the initial purpose for the course was program improvement through shared faculty expertise, comfort and skill in using distance education technologies also grew as a result of the course for both students and faculty. Students positively rated their acquisition of content as a result of the on-line and in-class activities.

Can Service Learning Enhance Student Understanding of Social Work Research?

The social work profession has become increasingly concerned about student indifference toward research and the scarcity of practitioner-initiated contributions to the field's present, and potential future knowledge base. Social work educators are seeking innovative teaching methods to promote student interest in, and understanding of research by requiring students to concurrently apply knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom with problems presently encountered by community practitioners. To generate student appreciation and enthusiasm for research, a service learning component was introduced in an undergraduate social work research methods course in collaboration with a local social service organization whose director served as the course's co-instructor. Outcomes from a post-study suggest that the course elements might make research less intimidating and more interesting, while making it more applicable to the real world.

A Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Computer Animation Course

Animation has always required a close collaboration between artists and scientists, poets and engineers. Current trends in computer animation have made successful and effective teamwork a necessity. To address these issues, the authors have developed an interdisciplinary computer animation course for artists and scientists, in which student teams produce a professional animation that extends the capabilities of a commercial animation package. A key component of this course is the use of collaborative teams that provide practical experience and cross-mixing of student exper-tise. Another key component is group-based education: the students learn from each other, as well as from the instructors.

Developing a Web-Enhanced Televised Distance Education Course

Summary Web enhancements to university courses offered via televised distance education can address several of the problems presented by the geographical barriers inherent in this delivery system. This article describes a Web site, The Teachers Lounge, developed for a distance education course in collaboration for special education teachers. Students at six separate locations were able to interact and collaborate around case studies presented on the Web. The article describes the conceptualization and development of the site, the students' reactions to the site, and suggestions to others interested in using similar Web applications.

In Quest of an Interdisciplinary Helping Process Framework for Collaborative Practice in Systems of Care

SUMMARY The “‘Heart and Soul of Change’: Therapies for a New Century” interdisciplinary symposium developed from a personal dream. The dream grew out of a collaborative, community-wide “system of care” project which helped children with serious emotional disturbances and their families receive comprehensive services. To support the community's system of care project, East Carolina University assembled a team of faculty from a cross-section of professional “helping” disciplines. A core faculty group accepted the responsibility of developing a curriculum and teaching an interdisciplinary, collaborative practice course. They soon realized that professional literature lacked conceptual frameworks that could guide professionals from various disciplines who practice in “systems of care” or use “wraparound” techniques. In such settings, professionals are expected to collaborate together and be “partners with families.” As a result, they decided to bring together Dr. Scott D. Miller and Dr. James K. Whittaker to lead a symposium to help build a unifying framework for collaborative, interdisciplinary practice. Using a personal format, this essay tells how the symposium developed, and it gives a brief overview of its presentations. Finally it concludes with several post-symposium questions addressed to Dr. Miller and Dr. Whittaker that help further develop a framework for interdisciplinary, collaborative practice. This information will be of use to serve providers as they attempt to develop a framework for their work. Further, it is expected that the questions addressed in this essay are questions that all service providers need to consider as they work collaboratively with children and families.

Remote Control of Manufacturing Systems - A Collaborative Course Between Engineering Schools

The goal of the project described in the paper is to create new, interactive tools and pedagogical methodologies in order to initiate the engineering students to the “cooperative” work and to teach them the necessary means (tools, methodologies). The application field concerns the development and implementation of a remote control of manufacturing systems, ranging from the automatic control to the production management. The objectives of a “shared remote control” are outlined first. Then the application to the remote control of a programmable logic controller - PLC is described.

Comparative Book Review: Selecting a Text for a Course in Collaboration and Consultation in Special Education: A Comparison of Content and Features

Comparative Book Review: Selecting a Text for a Course in Collaboration and Consultation in Special Education: A Comparison of Content and Features

Integrating Technology and Pedagogy in a Cultural Foundations Course

This article discusses how a foundations course uses Web-based technology to aid educational practitioners in learning cultural perspectives and research and in using these perspectives and knowledge in their daily practice. The course uses the Cultural Inquiry Process (CIP), a six-step action research model integrated with cultural research, to support practitioners’ uses of cultural perspectives and research in addressing their “puzzlements” (students’ attitudes or behaviors they do not understand). The Web resources support a changed pedagogy. Previously, practitioners learned general cultural perspectives and information prior to applying them. Now they learn specific cultural perspectives and information as they address teaching cases, their own puzzlements, and those of colleagues in their work group. Moreover, the Web site supports practitioners’ continued use of cultural perspectives and of the CIP in their practice after they have completed the course. The article also examines the processes used to develop this technology-rich course, suggesting implications for collaborative course development.

Frameworks for Interaction Support in Distributed Learning Environments

A framework for the development of distributed learning environments is presented. The necessary technological infrastructure and the appropriate methodology for interactive learning in a distributed environment are explored. The framework is a result of the research group's experience with a distributed engineering laboratory that was conducted jointly by MIT and by CICESE in Mexico. This is an initial experiment in distributed collaborative learning that will be extended to a larger-scale effort involving multiple universities and corporate centers around the world. Studies of student interaction within this distributed classroom, and personal interviews, have provided us with significant insight into the necessary structure and technological support for distributed learning. This insight is used to generate a set of guidelines for the development of distributed collaborative learning courses.

Redesigning Teacher Education as a Shared Responsibility of Schools and Universities

The impetus for school and university collaboration began in the mid-1990s with the Carnegie Forum (1986) and Holmes Group (1986) recommending the establishment of school-university partnerships to improve teaching and learning. The Carnegie report, A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century (1986), proposed that the best learning environment for teacher preparation was a clinical school linking school and university faculty. The Holmes Group recommended the establishment of professional development schools (PDSs) in which practicing teachers and administrators would work in partnership with university faculty to improve both schools and the preparation of teachers. Winitzky, Stoddart, and O'Keefe (1992) describe this relationship: A program of teacher education cannot be excellent without an excellent school in which to place student teachers. A school cannot be excellent without teachers graduated from excellent programs (p. 5). School and university systems are dependent upon each other for excellence, simultaneously facilitating renewal and change. Despite these efforts, little has changed in the last decade in K-12 schools and the preparation of teachers (Goodlad, 1990; Grant, 1994; Ladson-Billings, 1995). The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (1996) found that although the quality of teaching significantly affects student learning and educational reform, the teaching profession has suffered from decades of neglect (Darling-Hammond, 1996). Like the Carnegie Forum and Holmes Group a decade earlier, the commission has called for major restructuring of teacher education and professional development (Darling-Hammond, 1996) and emphasized the importance of school-university partnerships in improving student learning and teaching. Many believe restructuring teacher education programs is long overdue (Fullan, 1994; Metcalf-Turner & Fischetti, 1996; Rigden, 1996). In California, a study of the major teacher training institutions (Hart & Burr, 1996) revealed a number of concerns in teacher education including disconnection between universities and K-12 school districts, poor quality of student teaching experiences, weak links between schools of education and liberal studies, and limited early clinical experiences. As a result of state and national research findings and a series of meetings held by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for educators and community members on teacher education, Senate Bill 1422 was recently approved in California to restructure teacher education. This bill recommends that teacher education create shared responsibilities through K-12 and university partnerships, support faculty work with K-12 schools, build on preservice and induction experiences, and expand and enrich clinical experiences. Mounting pressure for institutions of higher education to assume a major role in serving the larger community is contributing to the movement toward school-university partnerships. Universities across the country are developing central missions emphasizing engagement in society, integrating community service in the academic curricula, and encouraging faculty to address important problems in the larger community (Rice, 1996). The role and reward structure of university faculty is beginning to change with a shift toward collaborative faculty work contributing to the central mission of the university and responding to community needs (Boyer, 1990; Rice, 1996). Although many universities are involved in reform efforts with school partners, much of their work has little effect on the redesign of teacher preparation. Some programs increase clinical preparation but maintain much of the traditional preparation program. Others develop collaborative courses but continue to implement an existing credential program. Still others offer collaborative programs but involve few tenureline faculty. Although these partnerships may improve aspects of teacher preparation programs, they generally result in existing program modifications or are tangential to business as usual at universities. …