Computer-mediated communications and secondary science teachers: Does it work?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to document the experiences of teachers who have shown renewed vigor in their approach to their professional duties while involved in computer mediated communications based science projects. This is a descriptive study consisting of a collection of vignettes of the experiences of five teachers involved in three different CMC based projects: TERC's Star Schools Project, The Interactive Communications and Simulations Project at the University of Michigan's School of Education, and the Rouge River Water Monitoring Project at The University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources. Data sources include observations with the five primary informants, informal and semi-structured interviews with the informants, electronic conference, and reflection upon the investigator's previous experiences. Findings are that: (1) Teachers need support from someone with detailed knowledge of the hardware, software, and pedagogical expectations of the systems at hand. (2) Support for the person(s) expected to provide such services must be placed on a more rational basis than is the case now. (3) Professional development and curricular activities appear to work best when they are integrated, not treated as components of computer mediated communications to be delivered separately. (4) Teachers value greatly learning things from one another that bear directly on the teaching of their present instructional responsibilities. (5) Teachers will work very hard if they see their students learning as a result of their efforts. (6) Computer mediated learning can be "fun" despite its time and energy consuming nature. Indeed, if the teachers, students, "mentors," and technical systems support personnel do not enjoy their participation, there is little evidence that this line of educational development will continue to exist.