14.4 ISSUES IN CMC

14.4.1 Changing Technologies

One important trend already mentioned is the explosive rate at which new technologies for communication are being disseminated. The current multimedia and hypermedia developments have already been absorbed into CMC educational environments, producing systems that, at least in principle, have the potential for vastly improving the rather unstructured and text-based modes of communication that were the characteristic of earlier CMC systems. The incorporation of graphics, audio, video, and, in the future perhaps, even simulations of a virtual reality nature, which may all be transmitted across the digital information superhighways, is opening the potential for a much richer form of CMC. Most of the research completed so far is related to the earlier forms of text-based CMC. Some of these results may be equally valid within the future multimedia distance education systems. However, we may expect many new issues and research questions to emerge as these broadband, multimedia, multimodal communication systems link both people and remote databases into one seamless information and communication environment.

14.4.2 Replicate or Innovate

Another issue that is increasingly facing researchers and practitioners in the area of CMC is whether this medium should be considered as an alternative way of implementing previously well-tried teaching/learning strategies or whether the medium itself may lead to the implementation of novel strategies that previously were not used. Among the research and development work that has followed the line of replication of the past, a notable trend is illustrated by the "virtual classroom" methodologies that have been implemented and researched by Roxanne Hiltz and her collaborators (Hiltz, 1986, 1990). This work has focused on the replication of well-tried classroom-based teaching/ 'learning strategies in an asynchronous networked environment. Variations on the virtual classroom might include the virtual conference room (that is, computer conferencing), the virtual seminar room, and the virtual case study discussion room, each implying a specific set of teaching/learning strategies (Romiszowski, 1993).

An example of a somewhat novel approach is the trend towards the implementation of learner-controlled environments that may combine the use of information resources stored remotely as a hypermedia network of information, together with computer-supported collaborative project work between groups of individuals utilizing the CMC capabilities of the network. A nonconventional example of a popular use of CMC is to supplement conventional classroom-based instruction with group exercises or projects that participants "take home" but continue to interact with both teacher and colleagues through the medium of CMC while working on their projects. This approach, although not new with respect to its project work details, is novel in that it extends the possibilities for group interaction (Grabowski, Suciati & Pusch, 1990).

14.4.3 Technological Synergy

The third issue is the technological synergy between computer sciences, cognitive sciences, and telecommunications sciences, which is offering a host of possibilities such as artificial intelligence software that may act as an intelligent interface between remote databases in libraries and student or may in other ways facilitate the learning process. one possibility that is not yet a full reality is the capability o a computer-mediated communication system to handle instant translation so that group discussions may take place between participants from different countries, the group, using their own native languages in the process. Yet another area of current technological development that is yet to show its promise in practice is virtual reality or, in other words, the physical simulation of personal closeness an involvement in a particular environment. It is possible to imagine CMC systems of the future that will not be open to the criticism of the loss of nonverbal communication elements such as expression, gesture, or even touch. The applications of these new technological possibilities are yet unresearched. However, progress in the field is so rapid that is not too early to consider some of the research issues that such new technological possibilities may pose.

14.4.4 Changing Theories and Philosophies

One notable current debate that impacts on the role of CMC in education is the "constructivism vs. objectivism" debate The constructivist viewpoint (see Chapter 7) is often aligned with CMC and opposed to CAI, which is seen as an objectivist approach to teaching and learning (Cunningham. Duffy & Knuth, 1993; Kaye, 1992). The current vigor of this philosophical trend may be partly behind the growth in popularity of CMC systems, particularly in the humanities and philosophical subject areas.

Another, not so recent, debate that has been revived in relation to the use of CMC is the "humanism vs. mechanism" issue. The humanists see the personal interaction between people that CMC allows as an important element in the appropriate uses of computers in education. A similar debate on the "cognitive vs. behaviorist psychology" platform may lead to positions being taken either for or against the use of CMC (Morrison, 1989). Other groups of theorists argue for CMC from the social constructivist standpoint of learning as "conversation." In this viewpoint, the teaching/ learning process is seen as a form of conversation, whether real or in the mind of the learner, which leads to an "agreement" on the meaning of specific content. It is argued that CMC, through the provision of real opportunities for conversation, may be a more appropriate medium for the development of those types of learning objectives where a conversational approach is of particular importance, i.e., higher-order learning objectives associated with problem-solving and critical-thinking skills (Romiszowski & Corso. 1990). Yet other philosophical/theoretical viewpoints that have been brought to bear on the relevance and appropriateness of CMC are Habermas's theory of undominated communicative action (Boyd, 1990) and postmodernism (Soby, 1990).

All of these different theoretical and philosophical viewpoints are interesting but are largely unresearched. Some current research is beginning to address certain issues in this field, but much further research is necessary in order to validate the claims and counterclaims and to develop a robust set of principles for the selection, design, and use of CMC environments in education and training.