Share Paper: Developing effective online collaborative science projects by using course scaffolding, a virtual world, and web 2.0 technologies

  1. Eileen O'Connor, Empire State College / SUNY, United States

Abstract: Abstract: Collaboration on complex projects can help students understand difficult concepts, giving them opportunities to expand their learning. However, working within an online environment can make it difficult for an instructor to oversee and manage students’ progress in collaboration and to ensure that students are moving towards the desired instructional outcomes. This online course implemented and evaluated elements that were designed to structure and scaffold the development process, to brainstorm and model the complex outcomes, to require frequent, reported meetings, and to increase ownership, responsibility and pride-in-the-work through the use of student-designed virtual pods (in Second Life) and through shared ...