Supporting higher education through electronic meeting support in Tanzania

To learn, a person has to be able to communicate effectively with others about the knowledge to be learned. Communication processes in class rooms can be supported by Group Support Systems (GSS), that enable students to communicate anonymously and in parallel. GSS experiences suggest that the technology increases observed learning, self-reported learning, on-task participation, and satisfaction with the learning experience. This paper discusses case studies from higher education in Tanzania. The particular benefit of GSS in this environment was threefold: First, it encouraged meaningful interaction among students and between students and teachers. Local culture normally hinders this. Second, it allowed all participants to freely discuss sensitive topics. Finally, it exposed students to collaborative technologies that are expected to play a pivotal role in (global) collaborative development activities.