The design and use of Internet-mediated communication applications in education: an ethnographic study

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dc.contributor.authorLaughton, Stuart Charlesen
dc.contributor.committeechairCarroll, John M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberCohill, Andrew M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberDowney, Gary L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberFox, Edward A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberRosson, Mary Bethen
dc.contributor.departmentComputer Science and Applicationsen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:20:38Zen
dc.date.adate2005-10-07en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:20:38Zen
dc.date.issued1996-05-16en
dc.date.rdate2005-10-07en
dc.date.sdate2005-10-07en
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation presents a study of the design and use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in education. It concentrates on a specific type of Internet-based CMC called asynchronous structured discourse (ASD). Using ethnographic methods and data from real-word case studies. this research focuses on three related problems. First, the effective application of any technology (like ASD) within any domain of complex practice (like education) requires collaboration between technology specialists and domain practitioners. This research studies both the techniques of collaborative design and the relationship between collaborators within the process. Second. while the use of computer networks in education offers obvious benefits (e.g., allowing the separation of students in time and space) much remains to be learned about the more subtle possibilities and effects of ASD (and CMC, in general) in education. This study focusses on the social. motivational. and organizational possibilities and effects of ASD applications. Finally. a meta-level focus of this research is assessing the utility of ethnography for computer application design and research. Design process results include the following argument for effective collaborative design: 1) The object of collaborative design should include the pedagogical activity, as well as the technological system; 2) Scenarios are particularly useful as activity design representations (but. must be augmented with other representations of system design); 3) Collaborative design includes an inherent power asymmetry insofar as technologists define and orchestrate the methodology; 4) But, educators and technologists can and should design together in direct collaboration. Results regarding ASO applications include the following argument for effective use: 1) ASO applications provide an effective means to transcend the traditional classroom social structure; 2) But, they should be used as a complementary medium within educational activities (not as a replacement for face-to-face interaction): 3) They can inject writing into instruction in an unobtrusive and authentic form; 4) And, they help shift the paradigm of learning from individual apprehension of knowledge to social construction of knowledge. Finally, this dissertation demonstrates that ethnographic methods can be effective for application design and research. In particular. it defines and demonstrates a specific methodology for ethnography-based collaborative design.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentxiv, 236 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-10072005-094838en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10072005-094838/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/39686en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V856_1996.L384.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 35838353en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectParticipatoryen
dc.subjectSoftwareen
dc.subjectDesignen
dc.subjectNetworken
dc.subjectEducationen
dc.subjectEthnographyen
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1996.L384en
dc.titleThe design and use of Internet-mediated communication applications in education: an ethnographic studyen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineComputer Science and Applicationsen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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