Cooperative Electronic Mail:: Effective Communication Technology for Introductory Chemistry

• Laura E. Pence ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Hartford

     University of Hartford

     Town of West Hartford, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 76, Nº 5 (May), 1999, págs. 697-697
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • One drawback to using cooperative learning in the classroom is that it takes up class time and reduces the amount of content that can be covered during a semester. Cooperative electronic mail is an excellent alternate method of using cooperative learning that shifts the medium of interaction to the computer and encourages students to learn to communicate effectively through technology. In this project, three types of exercises were assigned, one prior to each exam. These three assignments were (i) an open-ended question, (ii) a traditional cooperative activity done electronically, and (iii) an exercise to allow students to write exam questions for each other. The average participation rate in the exercises was 90% over four semesters, which indicated that the project was an effective incentive to get students to use email regularly. The evaluations of the project were also extremely positive. One surprising result of the assessment was that female students gave even more favorable responses than men, suggesting that this project was an excellent way to encourage women to use computer technology.