Abstract
In this study, we examined three distance-learning programs conducted over Vision Athena, an interactive television distance-learning system. Emphasis in each project was on using interactive television to engage learners in communities of practice in designed, or intentional, learning environments. Specific findings of what kinds of communities emerged are reported for each case. Cutting across the three cases, we found that interactive television was a useful tool for providing learners access to authentic resources, and affording learners opportunities to participate in authentic communities of practice. How the instructors facilitated student and expert interactions also played a key role in how each environment emerged. In these cases designing communities of practice as learning environments in secondary school settings necessitates changing the role of the instructor, student, and the expert from traditional models, allowing more access to community resources, and creating opportunities for trajectory through communities of practice.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barab, S.A., & Duffy, T. (2000). Architecting participatory learning environments. In D. Jonassen & S. Land (Eds.),Theoretical foundations of learning environments. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Barab, S.A., Hay, K., & Duffy, T. (1998). Grounded constructions and how technology can help.Technology Trends, 43(2), 15–23.
Barab, S.A., Hay, K., Squire, K.D., Barnett, M., Schmidt, R., Karrigan, K., & Johnson, C.B., (1999). Virtual Solar System Project: Developing scientific understandings through model building. Presentation made to the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, CA. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Barab, S.A., Squire, K.D., & Dueber, W. (in press). Promoting emergent authenticity through collaboration.Educational Technology Research and Development.
Bielaczyc, K., & Collins, A. (1999). Learning communities in classrooms: A reconceptualization of educational practice. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.),Instructional design theories and models: Volume II (pp. 269–292). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Bonk, C.J., Appelman, R., & Hay, K.E. (1996). Electronic conferencing tools for student apprenticeship and perspective taking.Educational Technology, 36(5), 8–18.
Bonk, C.J., & Reynolds, T.H. (1997). Learner centered web instruction for higher-order thinking, teamwork, and apprenticeship. In B.H. Khan (Ed.),Learner-centered web strategies for higher-order thinking, teamwork, and apprenticeship. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
Bransford, J.D., Franks, J.J., Vye, N.J., & Sherwood, R.D. (1989). New approaches to instruction: Because wisdom can't be told. In S. Vosniadou & A. Ortony (Eds.),Similarity and analogical reasoning (pp. 470–497). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Brown, J.S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning.Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32–42.
Burnette, C., & Norman, J. (1998). [On-line]. Available: http://www.netaxs.com/arts/dk12/IDEPPEI.html.
Chen, L. (1997). Distance learning systems in terms of pedagogical considerations: A reevaluation.Educational Technology, 37(4), 34–37.
Cobb, P., Gravemeijer, K., Yackel, E., McClain, K., & Whitenack, J., (1997). Mathematizing and symboling: The mergence of chains of signification in one first-grade classroom. In David Kirschner and James Whitson (Eds.),Situated cognition: Social, semiotic, and psychological perspectives (pp. 17–36). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1990). Anchored instruction and its relationship to situated cognition.Educational Researcher, 19(6), 2–10.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1991). Technology and the design of generative learning environments.Educational Technology, 31(5), 34–40.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1993). Anchored instruction and situated cognition revisited.Educational Technology, 33, 52–70.
Collins, A., Brown, J.S., & Newman, S.E. (1989). Cognitive apprenticeship: Teaching the crafts of reading, writing, and mathematics. In L.B. Resnick (Ed.),Knowing, learning, and instruction: Essays in honor of Robert Glaser (pp. 453–494). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Galbreath, J. (1996). Interactive television: The state of the industry.Educational Technology, 36(2), 24–34.
Grabinger, R.S. (1996). Rich environments for active learning. In D.H. Jonassen (Ed.),Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology, (pp. 665–692). New York: Macmillan.
Hawley, C.L., & Duffy, T.M. (1997). Student-teacher interactions in “The Chelsea Bank” simulation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association Chicago, IL.
Hay, K.E. (1996). Legitimate peripheral participation, instructionism, and constructivism: Whose situation is it anyway? In Hilary McLellan (Ed.),Situated Learning Perspectives (pp. 80–100). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
Hay, K.E., & Barab, S.A. (1998).Building worlds: Tools of virtual practice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
Jonassen, D. (1997). Instructional design models for well-structured and ill-structured problem-solving learning outcomes.Educational Technology Research and Development, 45(1), 65–94.
Jonassen, D. (1999). Designing constructivist, case-based learning environments. In C.M. Reigeluth (Ed.),Instructional design theories and models: Volume II (pp. 215–240). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Jonassen, D., Davidson, M., Collins, M., Campbell, J., & Haag, B.B. (1995). Constructivism and computer mediated communication in distance education.The American Journal of distance education, 9(2), 7–26.
Koschmann, T., Kelson, A.C., Feltovich, P.J., & Barrows, H.S. (1996). In Koschmann, T. (Ed.),CSCL: Theory and practice of an emerging paradigm (pp 83–124). Malwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Land, S., Hannafin, M., & Oliver K. (1999). Open learning environments: Foundations, methods, and models. In C.M. Reigeluth (Ed.),Instructional design theories and models: Volume II (pp. 115–140). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lave, J. (1988). The practice of learning: The problem with “context.” In S. Chaiklin & J. Lave (Eds.),Understanding practice: Perspectives on activity and context (pp. 3–32). Boston, MA.: Cambridge University Press.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991).Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G., (1986). But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation.New Directions in Program Evaluation, 30, 73–84.
Nelson, L.M. (1999). Design theory for classroom instruction. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.),Instructional design theories and models: Volume II (pp. 141–267). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Petraglia, J. (1998).Reality by design: The rhetoric and technology of authenticity in education. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Rees, F., & Safford, B., (1995). Iowa's approach to distance learning.T.H.E. Journal, 22(11), 63–66.
Reigeluth, C.M. (Ed.), (1999).Instructional design theories and models: Volume II. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Reigeluth, C.M., & Squire, K.D. (1998). Emerging work in the new paradigm of instructional theory.Educational Technology, 38(4), 41–47.
Resnick, L. (1987). Learning in school and out.Educational Researcher, 16(9), 13–20.
Roth, W.-M. (1996). Knowledge diffusion* in a 4–5 classroom during a unit on civil engineering: An analysis of a classroom community in terms of its changing resources and practices.Cognition and Instruction, 14(2), 179–220.
Roth, W.-M., & Bowen, G.M. (1995). Knowing and interacting: A study of culture, practices, and resources in a grade 8 open inquiry science classroom guided by a cognitive apprenticeship metaphor.Cognition and Instruction, 13, 73–128.
Savery, J.R., & Duffy, T.D. (1995) Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework.Educational Technology, 35(5), 31–38.
Schwartz, D., Lin, X., Brophy, S., & Bransford, J. (1999). Toward the development of flexibly adaptive instructional design. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.),Instructional design theories and models: Volume II (pp. 183–213). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Scriven, M.S. (1983). Evaluation methodologies. In G.F. Madaus, M.S. Scriven, & D.L. Stufflebeam (Eds.),Evaluation models: Viewpoints on educational and human services evaluation (pp. 229–260). Boston, MA: Kluwer-NijhoffPublishing.
Senge, P. (1994).The fifth discipline fieldbook: Strategies and tools for building a learning organization. New York: Doubleday.
Sizer, T.R. (1992).Horace's compromise. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Squire, K.D., Johnson, C., & Bichelmeyer, B.A. (1998).Personalized independent learning systems in high technology environments. Research roundable session presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, St. Louis, MO.
Stake, R.E. (1983). Program evaluation, particular responsive evaluation. In G.F. Madaus, M.S. Scriven., & D.L. Stufflebeam (Eds.),Evaluation models: Viewpoints on educational and human services evaluation (pp. 287–310). Boston, MA: Kluwer-Nijhoff Publishing.
Stake, R.E. (1994). Case studies. In N.K. Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.),Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 236–247). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Turoff, M. (1995).Designing a virtual classroom. Paper presented at International Conference on Computer-Assisted Instruction, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978).Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Whitehead, A.N. (1929).The aims of education and other essays. New York: The Macmillan Company.
Worthen, B.R., Sanders, J.R., & Fitzpatrick, J.L. (1997).Program evaluation: Alternative approaches and practical guidelines (2nd ed). New York: Longman Publishers.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported with a grant from the Corporation for Educational Communications.
The authors would like to thank Howard Kalman and Barbara Bichelmeyer for their help in conducting this research, and three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on this manuscript.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Squire, K.D., Johnson, C.B. Supporting distributed communities of practice with interactive television. ETR&D 48, 23–43 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02313484
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02313484