Welcome to our course on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). One goal of the course is to enable you to experience working as a member of a virtual learning team in a more authentic context. To accomplish this goal, we have created a hypothetical organization called the Texas Collaborative Technologies Institute (CTI), that is based on genuine experiences and problems that you might encounter in an academic environment.

Collaboration is not a solitary activity. We are always working with other people - colleagues, staff members, administrators, community members, family members - to accomplish almost anything worthwhile. Because we feel so strongly about the importance of collaborating with others, this course is organized around activities that are carried out in teams, along with other individual assignments. In fact, this course was created by a team.

We know from research on cognitive learning that engaging in dialogue and working collaboratively with others facilitates learning and the development of deeper levels of understanding. We also know that participating in activities that approximate "real-life" activities makes it easier for us to take our new skills into other areas of our lives.

You will learn about Computer Supported Collaborative Learning while you serve as a member of the newly created non-profit corporation called the Texas Collaborative Technologies Institute. This virtual institute has been created to help Texas public schools, universities, and businesses use the latest knowledge in online collaborative learning to improve learning within their organizations. The Institute brings together an outstanding group of educators and trainers who will serve as facilitators and change agents within their organizations as part of the effort to reengineer the learning-teaching process in K-12 and higher education and in corporate training . Your experience and knowledge will prove invaluable to others on your learning team and you will also benefit from the rich knowledge and expertise of the other members of this virtual center.

You will have two assignments to complete in the syllabus. In the first assignment, you will test your computer and software to see if you can access the course materials easily. In the second assignment, you will complete a survey titled, "Is This Online Course for Me?" The survey will help you decide if you want to take this course.