Computer-supported collaborative learning: Praxes in new cell-oriented configurable PC-classroom

Abstract

Currently, technology-enhanced learning environments are a research hotspot in engineering education. Universities invest in modern environments equipped with the newest audiovisual hardware, computers and web-technologies. These environments support learner-centred model of education, which highlights active role of learners, learning-by-doing, and collaborative learner autonomy in a democratic atmosphere. Therefore, traditional teacher-led classrooms can be transformed to more diverse and more creative environments in which teachers and learners have relatively different roles compared with the traditional classroom. <br/><br/>In this paper, we present layout, construction and hardware of our newly developed technology-mediated, configurable, and cell-oriented PC-classroom, which play a key role in our teaching development. We exemplify how the classroom has helped us to improve our automation science and control engineering education. To be more specific, we have adopted the well-known concept of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), which concerns how students can learn together with the help of computers. We also demonstrate how redefining and redesigning the nature of activities occurring in modern learning environments can improve the effectiveness of contact teaching, and hence, allow learning episodes to be more impactful compared with the traditional teacher-led classroom. We would like to pinpoint that redefinition and redesign have allowed us, as teachers, to take the position of a facilitating guide, or mentor, which work in close cooperation with students, and thereby, is able to strengthen the knowledge level of students through intellectual face-to-face discussion as well as through technology-supported communication. <br/><br/>Furthermore, our new classroom has enabled hands-on, competitive, cyber-physical attack-defence events to be conducted, which improve our automation security training. The events have invited participants from industry and academia, but most importantly, they have involved students. During the events, we have offered opportunities for students to make demonstration-of-skills to the participants from business. As a consequence, the new environment has enabled acts of openings for university-business cooperation in terms of education and recruit, free of charge. To our experience and according to student feedback, our redefined ways of conducting teaching has improved student motivation as well as increased their timely investment towards learning activities, which has eventually translated to better grades and overall satisfaction. <br/>