Grounded Guidelines and Case Studies
A version of this component of the Effective Use of VLEs infoKit is available to download as a printable version in pdf format. (The Adobe Acrobat Reader to allow viewing of pdf files is available for download here). This version covers only the core material in this section - the case studies are available for download from each of their home pages, accessible from the left-hand navigation bar.
Introduction
These guidelines are grounded from studies of CMC experience across a range of teaching and learning environments. Individual case summaries for subject areas are interwoven, from which you might recognise circumstances and issues that are similar to your own.
Each case study text, and the guideline documents themselves, are organised under five broad areas of concern, identified by teachers and learners as 'issues to manage' for effective educational communication within CMC environments:
Character of the communication: interaction, spontaneity, pace, coherence, permanence, medium, register, topic threading.
Self-perceptions: confidence, visibility, benchmarking, equity, management.
Learning and teaching relationships: roles, attributions, social patterns.
Getting things done: task grounding, preparation.
Continuity with curricula: context, co-ordination, integration, assessment.
A specific evaluation section per case study is also included.
The case studies incorporate 'voices of experience' - actual quotes from learners and teachers in text form, and you can access the relevant sections against each heading listed above as you progress through these guidelines. Alternatively you can access the summary case study by subject area from the links on the left-hand navigation bar, and within these access the voices of experience under each guideline heading.
