GSS for jury deliberations: applying technology in the high school courtroom

Today´s educators are using mock trials and jury deliberations as a way to promote critical thinking and enhance communication skills. An English teacher at Tucson, Arizona´s Cholla Magnet High School, incorporates mock trials and jury deliberations as a part of his class. The Center for the Management of Information, at the University of Arizona developed a collaborative environment with facilities and software to support Cholla´s programs in Law Related Education and International Studies. Two sets of jurors, all students from a sophomore English class, were selected as part of the mock trial. The first set of jurors deliberated using GSS and the second deliberated in the traditional face-to-face method. Preliminary results indicate that the deliberations held with GSS encouraged critical thinking, communication, and equal participation with students. Communication was measured through distinguishing normative and informational influence