6. Gunawardena, C. Designing collaborative learning environments mediated by computer conferencing: Issues and challenges in the Asian socio-cultural context. Indian Journal of Open Learning, 7 (1)

The phenomenal growth of the Internet and global networking has provided the impetus to utilize computer conferencing to facilitate collaborative learning. This paper explores issues related to the design of collaborative learning environments mediated by computer conferencing and discusses them the perspective of challenges faced in the socio-cultural context of the Indian sub-continent. It examines the unique features of the online medium and their impact on social cohesiveness, group dynamics, interaction, communication anxiety, and participation. Based on several computer conferences, the paper offers guidelines to practice and focuses on the importance of the role of the moderator/facilitator in a computer conference. The necessity to change traditional roles from teacher-centered to learner-centered learning is emphasized and the challenge to design collaborative learning based on constructivist principles is explored. The paper concludes with a discussion of the need to develop new paradigms to evaluate collaborative learning mediated by computer conferencing.

7. Chavez, M.(2000).Teacher and student gender and peer group gender composition in German foreign language classroom discourse: An exploratory study. Journal of
Pragmatics,32,1019-1058. MMCHAVEZ@FACSTAFF.WISC.EDU

The goal of this study is to deepen our understanding the affect of gender on classroom discourse, in particular the discourse of second language classrooms. Two hundred and one U.S. university students of German completed a 100-item questionnaire that looked at a wide range of discourse variables, including several on student-student interaction. Not surprisingly a complex picture emerges in which many factors play important roles. The article is remarkable for the large number of suggestions offered for future research.

Brief Cases

Lee, I., icylee@aicompro.com, Lee, M. & Ng, M. (1994). Fun after hours: Extra-curricular activities in secondary schools. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education. ISBN: 962-7854-409. Pp. 147.

If group activities are valuable during class time, why not after class time as well? This practically oriented book offers guidelines for 18 extracurricular activities, all of which involve groups or can easily be adapted to do so. The book is particularly geared toward language teaching, but many of