A Cooperative Distance Learning Method Based on Narrow-Band Internet and Its Evaluation

This paper describes the experimental evaluation of a cooperative distance learning method, which can be utilized on narrow-band Internet. In this method, students in a group learning environment perform a series of study tasks several times, then create an online report, communicating through a chat facility about a given topic. They try to gain a benefit from their study through a more cooperative attitude. The teacher gives a short lecture at the first stage, and then gives supplementary explanations after ascertaining the degree of understanding by the students at the middle stage of the study. Teaching materials are distributed to the students' PCs beforehand and the lecture can be carried out in a narrow-band environment by transmitting commands. The teacher analyzes the students' communication logs and gives advice for the next study session. This paper describes the result of an evaluation of the proposed method involving a simulated installation of the environment within the campus, which simulated a trial of cooperative distance learning in the periphery of an overseas desert environment. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 93(4): 36-49, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10139