Supporting School Work Groups with Communication Technology

The Earth Lab Experiment

Abstract

A networked computer environment designed to support school work groups was developed and tested in a New York City Public elementary school. Earth Lab networked 45 computers within the school providing a unique enviromnent for communication, data collection, and analysis in a sixth-grade earth-science curriculum designed around small group activities. Work groups are supported by several features of Earth Lab software including shared workspaces, electronic mail group aliases, and a login procedure that recognizes up to four students at the same computer. A better understanding of the differences between schools and other work settings in the organization of group work leads to a redesign of the Earth Lab environment placing greater importance on the small group working copresently at the same computer.