such as audioconferencing or classroom delivery, that an effective instructional system can be designed. Through a review of literature, the purpose of this article ...
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Facilitating Computer Conferencing: Recommendations From the Field Zane L. Berge1 Introduction Over the past few decades, several technologies have emerged that can be used in education, more specifically in distance learning: audio-, video-, and computer conferences; audiographics; CD-ROM, and other forms of computer-based instruction. When using most of these more sophisticated technologies, it becomes essential that an adequate infrastructure be constructed and high-quality technical support be made available when students and instructors need it. An overarching assumption here is that when designing instruction the use of technology is secondary to well-developed learning objectives and instructional plans. A set of guidelines may help design the learning environment. A few are listed here as examples of designing (especially distance) learning, but not as a comprehensive list: •
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synchronous interaction is generally more costly than asynchronous interaction (with regard to direct costs of equipment and other resources/ materials, and when considering convenience to users); density of content should be inversely related to the amount of synchronicity within the learning environment; synchronous communication can be used to promote social interaction in addition to any interaction with content that may occur; and a variety of delivery formats should be used for presentation (especially if synchronous learning is for relatively long periods of time).
Zane L. Berge is Director, Center for Teaching and Technology, Georgetown University, Washington DC.
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While principles such as these seem to guide our design and effective use of these technologies in distance education, and, for the most part, in place-based education as well, there is an immediate need for systematic research. Computer-mediated conferencing (CMC), or computer conferencing (CC) as preferred in this article, may offer features and possibilities that make it unique as a communications channel for use in distance education (Eastmond, 1992; Waggoner, 1992). The challenge to teachers and instructional designers is to identify the strengths of CC for the learning process, and utilize them within a total delivery system. We are finding that the strengths of CC are often not so compelling if CC is relied upon as the sole delivery method of instruction. Rather, it is when CC is combined with other media, such as audioconferencing or classroom delivery, that an effective instructional system can be designed. Through a review of literature, the purpose of this article is to list the roles, tasks, and functions of a computer conference moderator that are used to promote student learning, and any corresponding recommendations made concerning how these roles should be performed. Some of the recommendations may seem contradictory, but are included to show the range of suggestions offered in the literature. Some of these recommendations may seem trivial or only "common sense," or extremely general (e.g., addressing a person by his/her name). Still, given the high level of experience represented by these authors collectively, the fact that they have mentioned these factors suggests a lack in these areas within current practice sufficiently great to reiterate the recommendations here within the context of CC. Technology's Role in High-Quality Instruction An underlying assumption is that one goal of distance education is to create an environment that will promote high quality and individual and social interaction for the student during the construction of knowledge. By high quality I mean active learning using higher-order thinking skills such as evaluation, EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY/January-February 1995 pp.22-30
analysis, and synthesis, rather than simply rote memorization. It may be that the distinguishing feature between technology-mediated activities in distance education and technology-mediated entertainment or recreation is the care and purpose that course designers and developers take to stimulate activities leading to learning, i.e., to cause certain intelligent responses to the learning material, context, or environment. Interactions in Learning There are essentially two kinds of interaction with regard to learning. One is a student individually interacting with content. The other is social activity: a student interacting with others about the content. Both types of interaction are necessary for efficient, effective, and affective learning. In distance education, it is particularly important to provide an environment in which both kinds of interaction can occur. In the past the social interaction about the content has most often only been between instructor and student; but it is increasingly possible for students to interact with one another, even when geographically separated. Interaction takes different forms, for example: • • • •
between a student and course materials; between student and learning activities/ examinations; between student and instructor; and among students.
Each student must do something with the knowledge he or she is attempting to learn. Interacting with content means actively processing and combining this content with prior knowledge. Regarding social interaction, it is my assumption that a goal of distance teaching is to create an environment that both fosters trust among the learner and the instructor and also seeks to promote a cooperative and collaborative environment, allowing students to learn from course materials, the instructor, and each other. Some media channels promote particular interactions and other channels can hinder that same type of interaction. A combination of technologies/media can provide an environment rich in various opportunities for
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interaction, provided the strengths and weaknesses of each are considered. Synchronous and Asynchronous Interaction Hand-in-hand with the principle of interaction is the assumption that learning is a social activity. That doesn't necessarily have to mean face-to-face interaction—social interaction can occur among people using phones, fax, mail, the Internet, and other mediating technologies. Social interaction doesn't necessarily require real-time (synchronous) communication. Thus, interaction among learners or instructor can be independent of time and geography. A major complaint about correspondence courses as a form of distance education is the long time lags between submission of assignments and responses from the instructors. There are mediating, asynchronous technologies that can preserve the independence of time and space and yet considerably speed up the turnaround response time. Designers of learning environments need to take into account how both synchronous (real-time) interactions and asynchronous interactions are valuable tools when meeting various instructional goals. Computer Conferencing in Distance Education What Is Computer Conferencing? Computer conferencing merges telecommunications and computers to form a system for permitting groups of people to communicate with each other. This is usually done at times convenient to each person, with no need for all persons to be online at once, i.e., asynchronously (Gunawardena et al., 1994). Feenberg (1986) describes it as sophisticated e-mail that is characterized by: Participants in a computer teleconference type their communications into computer terminals that are connected, via a special long-distance phone network, to a central computer. The central computer stores the typed message permanently and places it in sequence with messages contributed by others. The message will be available to the conference members EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY/January-February 1995 pp.22-30
