Design of a group oriented, virtual learning environment

This paper presents the design and implementation of a group oriented, decentralised, virtual learning settings where students meet in groups of 3 –5 people at different locations all over the world and communicate via the internet. After presenting the objective of such a didactical design the paper gives an insight into the technical implementation. It presents the advantages and disadvantages of several internet services in such a virtual setting and a way of combining these internet applications according to their special characteristics. While the role of teachers change to those of coordinators the communication process within and between the groups becomes more important – as discussed in the following chapter. The paper concludes with the presentation of two practical applications as offered by the Institute for Didactics and Economics at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main (Germany) and some evaluating remarks