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Visible Knowledge Project
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Communication and Learning
In their investigation of online discussions, VKP researchers have discovered that the use of online communication tools fosters student learning, providing a space in which students might develop personal and academic voice in a collaborative, proto-public environment.

Moreover, because they integrate reading and authoring, these new online communication technologies provide valuable insights into more traditional classroom practices and pedagogies.

Relevant Questions
  • Questions about online communication as a combination of reading and writing
    • How does use of the discussion board affect relevant skills in the production and analysis of texts?
    • How do students learn from their peers' contributions, thus emphasizing the importance of "reading" in online discussions?
  • Questions about online communication and collaborative learning
    • What are the advantages of peer collaboration in an online environment?
    • What is the relationship between online communication and in-class discussions?
    • What motivates students to engage actively in online discussion?
  • Questions about online communication technologies and traditional classroom practices
    • Is it possible to evaluate student learning through an analysis of online discussions?
    • How can student postings provide a base for various other classroom pedagogies?
    • What is the connection between 'topic drift' and student learning? Does this connection play out differently in an online discussion, on one hand, and a traditional face-to-face classroom discussion, on the other?
    Gallery Sections
    Home|Reading|Multimedia|Discussion
    It is important to consider how online communication changes the nature of the physical classroom. These online communication environments explicitly integrate reading and writing, and provide valuable insights into traditional classroom practices, in which speaking is sometimes privileged over listening. This poster is the result of discussions and writing from the VKP Summer Institute 2004. Read the overview of this theme:
     
    Poster Examples

     
     
    Rachel Theilheimer
    Borough of Manhattan Community College

     
     
     
    Gail Green-Anderson
    LaGuardia Community College

     
     
     
    Mills Kelly
    George Mason University

     
     
     
    Joe Ugoretz
    Borough of Manhattan Community College