ED-MEDIA 1999 Proceedings Book - Association for the ...

1997), basic requirements for supporting collaborative learning on Web include facilities for (1) regulating
collaborative learning model (2) controlling the learning actions, and (3) notifying participants to guide
learners to interact with others according to the defined learning model. We explain each requirement and
why current web servers, e.g. Microsoft IIS and Netscape web server, can not support it in the following
collaborative learning scenario.
Team game tournament (TGT)(Slavin 1994) is recognized as an effective learning model in
conventional classrooms. The TGT model first evaluates learners’ learning status and then divides these
learners into heterogeneous groups according to evaluating results. After studying a subject, learners of a
group join proper team games with the members of other groups to win points for their own groups. An
illustrative TGT scenario, as depicted in figure 1, is given here to clarify the tasks of instructors. First, learners
join a quiz activity after they finish an assigned reading activity. According to the portfolio in the quiz,
instructors divide the learners into several groups. Then, the learners are assigned to suitable team games to
win point for their groups. Finally, learners of a group discuss collaboratively to clarify their misconceptions in
team games.
Figure 1: The scenario of the illustrative example
To support the TGT scenario on the Web, an instructor must do the following tasks. First, there are
three roles involved in the quiz activity, i.e. student, teacher, and teaching assistant (TA). The instructor must
initially assign each learner and other participant an appropriate role in the quiz activity. In addition, the
instructor must regulate the capability and responsibility of each role. For instance, the teacher role should set
quiz paper to start the quiz activity. Then, each student role should submit his/her answer in one day. Since
existing web server do not distinguish users’ roles, capabilities, and responsibilities, instructors can not
regulate desired learning activity on the Web based on group, role, and status. This issue is referred as
learning model regulation problem.
Second, after the instructor regulate a collaborative learning model, each role has certain capability to
perform some actions. For example, in the quiz activity, a student role can read the quiz paper and submit
his/her answer. He/she can also read the correct answer posted by a TA. However, until the student submits
his/her answer, he/she can not read the correct answer. In addition, some learning material can be access only
by a specific learner or participant. For example, the revised answer of a student’s answer can be read only by
this student. Other student can not read the revised answer. Therefore, the instructor must prevent learners
from performing prohibited actions. We refer this issue as learning action control problem.
Finally, each role has responsibility to perform some actions according to the regulated collaborative
learning model. For example, an instructor may regulate that the TA role in a discussion activity has to initiate
a topic for discussion. Then, the moderator role has to raise issues of the topic in two days. The student roles
must post their arguments to an issue in two days. Finally, the TA should conclude the discussion. Therefore,
the instructor has to notify appropriate learner to perform proper actions in learning activities. The first thing