Journal Contents

all articles of volume 6 issue 2 | return to Journal Contents

Article of Volume 6, Issue 2, June 2011

CSCL for intellectually disabled pupils: Stimulating interaction by using a floor-control mechanism

Authors: Ulrike Cress, Katrin Wodzicki, Martina Bientzle, Andreas Lingnau

Abstract: Computer-supported collaborative learning has an unexploited potential of becoming an effective learning method for pupils with intellectual disabilities. This paper aims at showing how some specific requirements of this target group may be met by structuring a learning situation with the help of floor control, which restricts the opportunities of a learning dyad to act simultaneously within the learning environment. It was expected that floor control could improve communication between pupils with intellectual disabilities by explicitly structuring and restricting activities in the learning environment and making it necessary for the pupils to communicate. To examine if floor control really supports the collaboration process in the hypothesized way, two different versions of a CSCL environment were implemented and compared. The results revealed improved task-related communication and a higher quality of interaction outcomes.

Keywords: CSCL, Floor control, Intellectual disability

Citation: Cress, U., Wodzicki, K., Bientzle, M., & Lingnau, A. (2011) CSCL for intellectually disabled pupils: Stimulating interaction by using a floor-control mechanism. ijcscl 6 (2), pp. 307-321

DOI: 10.1007/s11412-010-9105-5

Preprint: cress_wodzicki_bientzle_lingnau_6_2.pdf

About this article at link.springer.com [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11412-010-9105-5] including a link to the official electronic version.