Experiments comparing face-to-face with virtual collaborative learning

We report on set of studies conducted over two years involving over 1000 students at two universities. The main study compares three conditions: conventional classroom lecture, a face-to-face collaborative learning technique called Tutored Video Instruction (TVI), and the virtual-world counterpart of TVI, Distributed Tutored Video Instruction (DTVI). The main study involved over 700 students in 6 courses. When using final course grade as an outcome measure, it has been previously established that TVI students outperform lecture students. Therefore the comparison of interest for us is between DTVI and TVI: would the audio and video technology used to support a distributed group enable DTVI students to achieve the higher grades attainable in TVI? We found no statistical difference between the grades of the DTVI and TVI students, and both groups outperformed the lecture students.We also summarize extensive interaction process data and survey data, then report on some more informal studies assessing the usability and effectiveness of an "Enhanced DTVI" system, in which distributed students can not only see and talk over digital networked media, but can take notes together in real time.