Will Virtual Collaborative Learning be Effective?
	A Study of "Distributed Tutored Video Instruction"
	
	                Randall B. Smith
	              Sun Microsystems Labs

Group interaction through audio and video links is known to exhibit quite
a few socially peculiar effects, many of which could interfere with
collaborative learning.  We report on a study of over 1000 students at
two universities who participated in an assessment of Distributed
Tutored Video Instruction (DTVI).  In DTVI's corresponding copresent
learning methodology (called TVI), a small group of students gather to
study a videotaped lecture.  In use for over 20 years, TVI has been
shown to give higher course grades than attending live lecture.  Our
DTVI students also met in real-time, only they gathered virtually,
each having a camera and audio headset attached to a computer:  students
see each other in a matrix of faces on the computer screen.  We found
that DTVI and TVI gave statistically identical course grades, and both
gave better results than live lecture.  We will discuss the shared space 
user interface, show some videotape, and give some evidence to support 
our theories about why DTVI seems to work.