Constructing Virtual Communal Spaces
The Transforming Campuses into Learning Communities
Conference
Coral Gables, FL
January 8-11, 1998
Tom Creed, Professor of Psychology
Saint John's University
Constructing Virtual Communal Spaces |
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This workshop will look at one form of technology, electronic communication, that I think can be particularly valuable in establishing community that enhances students' learning. It will be a hands-on exploration of virtual communal spaces (VCS)--environments which integrate the components of electronic communication (E-mail, electronic conferencing, and the World-Wide Web). We'll begin with a demonstration of the VCS used in the presenter's class, examine other VCS software, set up a sample VCS, and discuss the advantages and cautions of using such environments. The software we'll be using in the demonstration (Web Course in a Box) does not require great sophistication to use, is easily accessible by faculty and students through the Internet, and is available as freeware.
This web site gives you the opportunity to preview (and, after January 11, to review) the information for our workshop. I want to use this web site to model how electronic communication can be used effectively in classes, and can even form the backbone of a virtual learning community. In the frame to the left, I have provided some links for our workshop. The first returns you to this page, and the next gives a brief outline of the workshop.
The links listed under Background material may or may not be of use in our workshop, but if you are interested in a broader perspective on electronic communication, you may want to look at them when you have more time.
Next is a link to my Principles of Learning and Behavior page, which we'll be using as an example of a course with a virtual community component, then a link to a chapter on electronic communication that I wrote recently, followed by our electronic conference (Our Virtual Communal Space), and finally, a link with lots of resources on virtual communities on The National Teaching and Learning Forum's website.
Tom
Last modified on January 7, 1998.