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Article Excerpt
This article presents a descriptive study that examined the influence of using electronic mail (e-mail) to support novice teachers as they attempted to sustain action research projects in their classrooms. The participants included nine graduates of the Southwest Texas State University (SWT) Teacher Fellows Program and an assistant professor in the program. As part of the Teacher Fellows (a graduate-level mentoring/induction program), first-year teachers conduct action research in their respective classrooms. This study sought to determine how an online collaboration by way of e-mail could help these novice teachers continue their research efforts in the second and third years of teaching. Data was collected from e-mail messages, postsurveys, and follow-up interviews. An analysis of the data suggests that electronic collaborations are an effective method of supporting novice teachers in their research efforts. Findings include the benefits and challenges of collaborating online.
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The increased use of computer-mediated communication and collaboration is helping teacher educators overcome barriers such as time and place in their efforts to mentor and support novice teachers. This article presents a descriptive study that examined the influence of using e-mail to support novice teachers as they attempted to sustain action research projects in their classrooms. It includes (a) a brief review of literature related to the emerging field of electronic collaboration, (b) a description of the pilot project, (c) an analysis and findings of the data, and (d) conclusions drawn from the study.
OVERVIEW OF ELECTRONIC COLLABORATION
According to Koschmann (1996), a new area of research in instructional technology known as computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is emerging in the field of education. Also referred to as "electronic collaboration," this new focus of research is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of socialconstructivism (Duffy & Cunningham, 1996; Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1996; Vygotsky, 1978). As Bonk and Cunningham (1998) pointed out "...a few educators have come to recognize the importance of social constructivism for electronic learning because the potential for collaboration and negotiation embedded within it provides the learner with the opportunity to obtain alternative perspectives on issues and offer personal insights; in effect to engage in meaning making and knowledge negotiation" (p. 34).
In Electronic Collaborators: Learner-Centered Technologies for Literacy, Apprenticeship, and Discourse, Bonk and King (1998) highlighted the constructivist uses of technology tools. They pointed out, for example, that electronic collaboration "emphasizes active, generative learning, with curricula wherein teachers continue to perform a critical learning function as learning consultants and guides" (p. 35). In addition, they summarized and defined key sociocultural terms and principles (e.g., mediation, zones of proximal development, internalization, cognitive apprenticeship, assisted learning, teleapprenticeships, and scaffolded learning) that provide theoretical frameworks for CSCL environments.
Supporting cycles of collaboration, enactment, and reflection is time-consuming, labor intensive, and expensive. To promote change, we must find ways to make the process more efficient and unload some of the effort. Harnessing t he potential of the new technologies is one route to supporting change in education if done in a manner that is guided by current ideas about teacher learning. (p. 275)
In recent years numerous educators have demonstrated the effectiveness of incorporating technology into teacher education courses as well as inservice professional development (Bonk & King, 1998; Falba, Studler, Bean, Dixon, Markos, McKinney, & Zehm, 1999; McMullen, Goldbaum, Wolffe, & Sattler, 1998; Murphy, Drabier, & Epps, 1998; Soloway, Krajcik, Blumenfeld, & Marx, 1996; Wetzel, 1993). For example, Soloway et al. (1996) explored how technology can be designed and used to promote teacher learning, support change, and sustain innovation in a variety of educational contexts. They described various communications technologies that support upper elementary, middle school, and high school teachers who are transitioning to constructivist, project-based science practices. They pointed out:
Similarly, Anderson and Kanuka (1997) suggested that online forums present a potentially useful and cost effective innovation for supporting collaboration, reflection, and professional development in educational contexts. They described a study that evaluated the output, level of participation, and perceptions of effectiveness and value among participants in an online forum. Twenty-three experts in the field of adult education and community development were invited to participate in a three-week interactive session using a WWW-based, asynchronous (delayed time) computer conferencing system. Analysis of data gathered through surveys, interviews, transcript analysis, and online discussions revealed that this technology is an effective means for enhancing networking opportunities and contributing to the continuing education of professionals.
Numerous researchers are proclaiming e-mail's effect on equalizing collaboration within organizations, citing examples of how it...
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