Facilitating Collegial Exchange among Science Teachers: An Experiment in Computer-Based Conferencing. Technical Report 86-14.

Teacher isolation is a significant problem in the science teaching profession. Traditional inservice solutions are often plagued by logistical difficulties or occur too infrequently to build ongoing teacher networks. Educational Technology Center (ETC) researchers reasoned that computer-based conferencing might promote collegial exchange among science teachers by giving them a new way to communicate with each other--individually or in groups, from their own workplaces and homes, at whatever time suits them. Using "Common Ground" conferencing software created at ETC, these researchers established an electronic network and conducted two initial studies of its operation. Researchers studied both technical and substantive aspects of the network's operation. Initial feedback from teachers was quite positive, and data on their usage patterns yield several findings: (1) some participants need support and encouragement' in the initial stages of learning to use a conferencing system; (2) some participants encountered snags in setting up their own equipment or using their communications software; (3) access to equipment remains a problem for some school people; (4) inexperienced participants tend to send more private than public mes :ages; and (5) forum moderators and/or a network coordinator can play an important role in stimulating and sustaining substantive discussions. Half of the. document consists of appendices. They include magaine articles, case studies of teachers' use and evaluation of the network, sample telephone interviews, and sample network messages. (CW) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ***********************************************************************