Methodological optimization of cooperative online environments (BSCW & Synergeia) as Chemistry teaching aids in hypermedia authoring

Abstract

The main goal of this article is to describe the methodological optimization study of two cooperative online environments, BSCW & Synergeia, in the field of Chemistry Education. These tools, free for education purposes, are shared workspace-based groupware that enable cooperation over the Web. We present results from a two-phase study. During the first one, students from a technical institute have produced cooperative hypermedia projects about «ions in water», and have answered and completed a series of questions and Likert questionnaires. During the second phase, once results have been analyzed, we created student guides and teacher tutorials. These guides have been modified with the feedback received from teachers who used the preliminary versions of them in their classes.