Collaborative learning by modelling: Observations in an online setting

CoCo Research CentreThe University of SydneyA custom-designed combination of a chat tool and a wiki tool was used to engagepostgraduate education students online in system dynamics modelling tasks. The purpose ofthe course was to familiarise students with core concepts of the complexity sciences, and tointroduce them to modelling complex systems as a means to research processes of learningand organisational change. The rationale for the online course as well as the technologyemployed is described. Observations from two student teams using the Stella™ modellingsoftware while cooperating in the online learning environment are reported, both withrespect to their modelling activities as well as their team coordination behavior. Weconclude with an identification of the main advantages of learning about a difficult subjectarea collaboratively and net-based.Keywords: OLE, chat, wiki, system dynamics modelling, postgraduate students

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