Mexican faculty visit University of Texas at Austin College of Education Learning Technology Center for three-week seminar on collaborative learning

AUSTIN, Texas—Professors from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) will attend the “UT-ITESM Summer Institute 2002,” an intensive three-week seminar on collaborative learning, May 20 through June 7 at the Learning Technology Center in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin.

The 55 faculty, representing 21 of the 31 ITESM campuses throughout Mexico, will learn to integrate face-to-face cooperative and online collaborative learning techniques into their teaching.

Directing the institute is Dr. Paul E. Resta, professor of instructional technology and director of the Learning Technology Center in the College of Education. Resta is an expert in online collaborative teaching methods and has developed and taught award-winning online instructional technology courses. Sharing instructional duties with Resta is Dr. Edythe Johnson Holubec, associate of the University of Minnesota Cooperative Learning Center, who is nationally known for her work in cooperative learning.

Participants will bring their own laptop computers equipped to take advantage of the College of Education’s new wireless network. During the institute, they will develop a unit of instruction incorporating classroom cooperative learning, online collaboration and a Web-based collaborative inquiry project. A Web-based environment will allow participants to experience the kind of online activities they are learning to design.

“The online setting creates a dynamic, supportive learning community that engages students and exposes them to multiple perspectives,” Resta said.

The participants will become part of an online knowledge-building community that will continue after they return to their home campuses to mentor colleagues in collaborative learning.

This is the second UT-ITESM Summer Institute and it signifies the beginning of a long-term relationship between the two institutions. ITESM sought out Resta last year to design the institutes as part of a major systemic initiative to transform the curriculum and educational process at all their campuses. The ITESM administration sees collaborative learning as one of the best ways to provide students the most effective learning experiences.

Since the May-June 2001 institute, Resta has visited ITESM campuses twice and collaborated online, providing follow-on support to that year’s participants. During his most recent visit, he held a videoconference with rectors, deans, department chairs and faculty at all the campuses to discuss the principles and strategies of online collaborative learning.

Opening ceremonies for the institute will be held from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Monday (May 20) at the Glenn Maloney Room, 1.310, in the Student Services Building.

For further information contact: : Laurie Caldwell, Learning Technology Center (512) 471-3964.