Old Dominion University
Computer Science Colloquium
2011 Apr 22 Fri 10:30AM

Michael A. Herzog
Collaborative learning in a virtual cross teaching approach. An intercultural study.
This talk gives an overview about a recently created international and interdisciplinary learning scenario and shows the results of accompanying empirical study. It imparts the cross teaching approach in a reinterpreted version and is focused on a business case study method where about 160 students from a german and an austrian university had to collaborate virtually in 30 interregional teams. The special emphasis of evaluation is on collaboration of virtual learning groups and media competency. 
It will be shown that group work profits from value-in-diversity effects but is obstructed by higher conflict levels, ineffective communication, dissatisfaction of social needs, and limited identification and motivation. So a lot of characteristics in a real working scenario of globalized enterprises are integrated into the cross teaching scenario.
Nevertheless, by the enforced work with collaborative communication instruments individual learning groups significantly enhanced their media competency in a technical and a social manner.

Michael A. Herzog teaches and researches at Magdeburg-Stendal university of applied sciences. He gives lectures in information systems, e-business, multimedia technology, mobile communication and IT supported business process management. In his research he is concerned with mobile systems, RFID-technology, enterprise content management, and e-learning. 
Before he changed to an academic career in 2004 he has worked for about 15 years as senior executive and founder of several IT-enterprises in Berlin (Germany) and Treviso (Italy) concerning media technology and software development.
In 2004 he received the "Multimedia-Award of the University of Potsdam" for a component-based e-learning content production approach developed for the Virtual Global University. Since 2006 he is permanent fellow of Alcatel-Lucent-Foundation for communication research.
Michael holds a tenured professorship for Business Management and IT at Magdeburg-Stendal university of applied sciences, a PhD in information systems and a master's degree in computer science, both from University of Technology Berlin. 
Contact:
University Magdeburg-Stendal, Dept. of Economics
Osterburger Str. 25, 39576 Stendal, Germany

phone: +49-3931-2187-4805
email: michael.herzog@hs-magdeburg.de
http://www.mherzog.com