Collaborative Technology Impacts in Distributed Learning Environments

Abstract

Many studies have examined the impact of collaborative technology in distributed learning environments. Few of those studies involved new collaborative technologies such as mobile computing, and few were empirically tested. This chapter addresses the need to empirically examine the impacts of new collaborative technologies including mobile, wearable, embedded, and ubiquitous technologies, on distributed learners. The chapter introduces a technology-independent framework for considering collaborative technologies, including mobile technology; it relates expected technology impacts to user preferences using a generalizable research framework rooted in the social science, communication and technology acceptance literature. The framework is updated to include the lens of contextualization richness, and the results of an empirical test of the framework are presented. The results show user preferences for technologies with a high range of design features to support cognitive learning, while showing preference for technologies with a low range of design features to support perceived learning. Next steps and implications for future work conclude the chapter.