There is much positive research on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments in asynchronous distributed learning groups (DLGs). There is also research that shows that contemporary CSCL environments do not completely fulfil expectations on supporting interactive group learning, shared understanding, social construction of knowledge, and acquisition of competencies. There appear to be two major pitfalls impeding achievement of the desired social interaction in CSCL environments: taking social interaction in groups for granted and the lack of attention paid to the social psychological dimension of social interaction outside of the task context. Current solutions offered to avoid the pitfalls placed responsibility on instructors and teachers to encourage collaborative learning and social interaction. To both free educators from this burden and be more cost effective, we propose an intelligent CSCL environment. The environment is based upon a theoretical framework that suggests embedding certain properties in the environment to act as social contextual facilitators- social affordances- to initiate and sustain learner’s social interactions. Finally, a group awareness widget (GAW)- a software tool providing the learner group awareness about the others in the task and in the non-task context- is introduced as an embodiment of this theoretical framework.

Many of the designations used by the manufactures and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Every attempt has been made to supply trademark information about manufactures and their products mentioned in this dissertation. A list of the trademark designations and their owners appears below. Trademark notice Access, Netmeeting, Sharepoint Team Services, Windows, and Windows 2000 Server are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Post-it is a trademark of 3M Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds Professional Quest is a trademark of Dipolar Pty Limited Yahoo! Groups is a trademark of Yahoo! Domino is a trademark of IBM/Lotus Authorware is a trademark of Macromedia Toolbook is a trademark of Click2Learn

development in open and flexible learning (pp. 105 – 114). London, UK.: Routledge.

(TAJCCIA) recommended Texas community colleges, "collect and maintain data to identify specific problems and improve results of student transfer from two-year to four-year colleges. " (Transfer Success Work Group Report, April, 1995.) In response to that recommendation, the President’s Effectiveness Council (PEC) examined data to answer the following questions relevant to ACC's transfer function: At what rate do ACC students transfer to senior institutions? To which senior institutions do they go? This article presents a condensed version of the PEC report. The complete report is available from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness or on the OIE web site. At what rate do ACC students transfer to universities? The THECB Transfer Effectiveness Report provides transfer data for cohorts of first-time-in-college (FTIC) students who enrolled in summer or fall of a given year, attended at least two semesters, and earned at least 15 semester credit hours (SCH). Four years following the first enrollment of the cohort, a transfer rate is calculated by the THECB that compares the