ABSTRACT
This paper reports on a collaborative multimedia project between the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management and the College of Education at the University of Houston. The conceptual framework that supports this approach is based on action learning theory and constructivist philosophy. Graduate students in the instructional technology program in the College of Education worked in collaborative design teams with a client, a faculty member from the College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, to design and develop four modules of Internet-based courseware for an actual instructional context in an undergraduate class in human resource management. The course instructor from the College of Education served as a facilitator and project manager. Data was gathered from both the students and the client-faculty member through a variety of methods that included pre- and post-course 108surveys, participant interviews, journals, and observations. Students expressed satisfaction with working on an actual project with a real client and noted that the skills learned through the collaborative process were frequently used after the course in job-related situations. In the beginning of the development period, there was some confusion and uncertainty about individual and team roles as well as expectations about the client-faculty member feedback and participation. Team building skills were noted as a needed addition to the curriculum. At the end of the development phase, both the students and the client-faculty member expressed a strong satisfaction with the process of combining both technical skills and practice in an authentic context. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: <getinfb@haworthpivssinc.com> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved].
