Virtual Structures For Mutual Review Promote Understanding Of Opposed Standpoints

Year 2008, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 17 - 43, 01.03.2008

Gilbert Ahamer

Abstract

Web based training (WBT) is able to reshape human interaction. Peer review processes, such as adhered to by journals and in the context of political processes such as accession to the EU, have aided in safeguarding quality in the academic field since long. University curricula, however, have not yet fully taken into account training for such mutual evaluation activities. One of the key approaches of the recently designed negotiation game “Surfing Global Change” (SGC) is to complement traditional roles of “teacher versus students”. Therefore, in level 2 of SGC students write, review, assess and update standpoints while making use of a web based discussion forum. A statistical analysis of student activities is provided alongside conclusions regarding motivations of different clusters of students. Independent sets of skills might be discerned in the final academic result. Taking the example of SGC’s collaborative process design and teaching methodology, the present paper discusses the influence of various concepts and methodologies of education and training while focussing on student-teacher interactions.

Keywords

Peer Review; e-learning; mutual evaluation; ethics of negotiation; collaborative student-teacher Interactions; Virtual Social Dynamics in e-Learning Platform; EU Accession