[Teaching Desktop] Video Conferencing in a Collaborative and Problem Based Setting

This paper presents experiences from teaching video conferencing for learning and collaboration, and discusses
the challenges and potentials of applying a collaborative and problem‐based learning (PBL) pedagogy. The research is an
action research study, and we as researchers, educational planners, teachers and assistant teachers wanted to find ways in
the design for learning that enables the learners to acquire knowledge about the theories, models and concepts of the
subject, as well as hands‐on competencies in a learning‐by‐doing manner. In particular we address the area of desktop
video conferences. We studied 3 subsequent years of a master program module on video conferencing, and the changes it
has undergone. The participants work in groups and each group has the task of designing a short one hour (45min)
educational design of their own choice. The students have to try out and evaluate their educational design and their role as
teachers in this video conference setting. The students reflect on their experiences and designs in a blog and the group
collaboratively hands in a reflection paper online. Both blog posts and reflection papers needs to relate to the literature of
the module. Our analysis shows that the students experiment with various pedagogical situations, and that during the
process of design, teaching, and reflection they acquire experiences at both a concrete specific and a general abstract level.
The desktop video conference system creates challenges, with technical issues of delay and sound problems, where
different embodiment and space‐design influence the learning process. However, we also find that the PBL‐setup inspires
the students to apply theory into practice and to reflect on their own practice, furthermore the collaborative approach
support the feeling of trust which is crucial when building on a competence as personal as teaching.