Instructional Support for Collaboration in Desktop Videoconference Settings

Abstract

Innovation computer-mediated settings can help to overcome many traditional barriers to knowledge communication and collaborative work. However, successful collaborative learning and task-solving can be a challenge, which is aggravated in the case of complementary expertise of the collaborating partners. To meet these challenges, we propose providing support for computer-mediated collaboration by instructional methods. The goal is to improve the collaborative skills and knowledge of the people working jointly on a task. We outline different instructional approaches using the example of a situation in which experts from different fields are required to jointly solve psychiatric cases communicating via a desktop conference. In addition, we discuss assessment methods for evaluation the effects of these approaches on three levels: collaborative process, joint outcome, and individual knowledge. Finally, we summarize an experiment in which instructional support methods were tested by assessing their effects on all three of these levels.