WikiTrails: augmenting Wiki structure for collaborative, interdisciplinary learning
Proceedings of the 2006 international symposium on Wikis
Fostering an informal learning community of computer technologies at school
Behaviour & Information Technology - Computer Support for Learning Communities
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Teaching students computer technologies sometimes requires untraditional teaching methods in schools, as it is not uncommon that students possess more advanced computer skills than teachers in todayýs classrooms. In this paper, we present our study of a course website design project in a public high school to investigate new teaching strategies in technology education. We observed how students and teachers shifted roles during the project, i.e., students became technology consultants and trainers while teachers, although still acting as facilitators of the process, also became learners. This role-shifting resulted in augmented learning outcomes for the student. For the teacher, the challenge of adopting the unconventional role of teacher-as-student required a new teaching paradigm, bringing to light the inherent tensions brought about by such role changes and skill differentials. Lessons we learned from this study are discussed as well as suggestions for teachers and schools that are interested in adopting this approach.