Collaborative technologies in inter‐university instruction

Can we demonstrate and implement scalable, cost‐effective distance independent learning? At the University of Michigan during the 1994–1995 academic year, we worked through this problem and offered a course concurrently in Ann Arbor and at the University of Illinois at Champaign‐Urbana. After looking both at the various forms of interaction which instruction involves (class lecture, team projects, interaction among peers, discussion with faculty) and the types of assignments (individual, group via computer, group via conversation) necessary for successful demonstration of mastery of course objectives, we selected technologies to fit the tasks and exploit a range of collaborative tools in a distance independent mode. Those technologies and applications included ISDN video conferencing, telephone conferencing, CUSeeMe, Timbuktu, PowerPoint, Internet tools, and fax. Many of the materials used in the class were available on the Internet (URL: http://www.sils.umich.edu/http: //www.sils.umich.edu/∼mholland/class/joint/introjoint.htmlsim;mholland/class/joint/introjoint.html) or through local servers at both institutions. Throughout the term, students provided feedback on their level of engagement and satisfaction with newly‐introduced technologies; much of this data and evaluative comment are also available at the same URL. This article develops the matrix of technology/task fit, describes the various components of instruction, and presents some evaluation of the course from both the student and the faculty perspectives. It concludes with an overview of ongoing work and a perspective on future directions for distance independent learning. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.