Collaborative Design in a Networked Multimedia Environment

This article focuses on the activities of students working on a collaborative design in a distributed multimedia environment. It examines how students at physically separate locations solved a design problem by using various communication channels, including audio, video, computer text, online resources, and face-to-face discussion. Analysis shows that video-audio was the preferred medium of inter group communication. The number and direction of exchanges initiated varied from one group to another, and in-group dynamics made for the differential involvement of individual team members. The implications for further research are discussed. The article takes its theoretical inspiration from recent work in educational philosophy and learning theory which stresses that learning is a social and cultural process and that knowledge is constructed in interaction with others.