Relational Online Collaborative Learning Model

This chapter describes an instructional online collaborative learning model that addresses the phenomenon from a systemic human relations and interaction perspective. Its main purpose is to aid students in their social building of knowledge when learning in a CSCL environment. The model argues that knowledge building in a networked environment is affected by the communication conflicts that naturally arise in human relationships. Thus, the model is basically proposing a way to attend to these communication conflicts. In this line, it proposes a set of instructional strategies to develop the student’s meta-communication abilities. The concepts and instructional suggestions presented here are intended to have a heuristic value and are hoped to serve as a frame of reference to: 1) understand the complex human patterns of relationships that naturally develop when learning in a CSCL environment, and 2) suggest some basic pedagogical strategies to the instructional designer to develop sound online networked environments.

Use and Mis-Use of Technology for Online, Asynchronous, Collaborative Learning

Online learners are typically considered to be isolated learners, except for occasional opportunities to post views on an electronic bulletin board. This is not the team orientation that is so central to collaborative learning (CL) theory. Why does formal CL receive so little attention in online instruction? First, the teachers who do value CL generally are traditional educators and not involved in online instruction. Second, online teachers often have little understanding or appreciation for the formalisms of CL. In this chapter, electronic bulletin boards, although universally used, are shown to provide poor support for Collaborative Learning. As a better alternative, shared-document conferencing environments that allow learning teams to create academic deliverables are discussed. Finally, examples are given of well-known CL techniques, illustrating how these are implemented with shared-document conferencing.

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning in Higher Education

The rapidly increasing use of computers in education, and in particular the migration of many university courses to web-based delivery, has caused a resurgence of interest among educators in non-traditional methods of course design and delivery. This chapter provides an introduction to the field of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). First, some of the major benefits are listed. Then, some of the common problems are described, and solutions are either given or pointed to in the literature. Finally, pointers are given to some of the more recent research in this area.

Web-Based Learning by Tele-Collaborative Production in Engineering Education

The purpose of this chapter is to review and discuss theoretical perspectives that help to frame collaborative learning online. The chapter investigates literature about the type of learning and behavior that are anticipated and researched among participants learning collaboratively and discusses how these attributes explain computer-supported collaborative learning. The literature about learning is influenced by perspectives from a number of fields, particularly philosophy, psychology, and sociology. This chapter describes some of these perspectives from the fields of cognitive psychology, adult learning, and collaborative group learning. Recent research into computer-supported collaborative learning that applies these theories will also be discussed.

Time, Place and Identity in Project Work on the Net

This chapter identifies some of the fundamental conditions and factors that affect collaborative project work on the Net. Understanding them is fundamental to developing key qualities in Net-based collaborative learning such as confidence, reliability, and trust. We argue that: (1) Collaboration and social interaction develop in continuous oscillations between abstract and meaningful frames of reference as to time and place. (2) Such oscillations condition the creation of a double identity of writer and author modes in social interaction. (3) Collaborative work creates an ever-increasing complexity of interwoven texts that we have to develop strategies for organizing. (4) One such important strategy is the negotiation of roles among the participants. Having established this theoretical framework, we discuss how to deal with these conditions in an actual Net-based learning environment, the Master of Computer-Mediated Communication program at Roskilde University, Denmark.

Mapping Perceived Socio-Emotive Quality of Small-Group Functioning

This chapter demonstrates the influence of the socio-emotional quality of small-group functioning in a collaborative learning setting. It reports a case study from a sophomore class at a Belgian university. The subjects were 142 undergraduates subdivided into 12 project groups of about 12 students each. Following a description of the collaborative learning setting, a longitudinal survey study focusing upon the evolution of the learners’ perception of their own group’s socio-emotional functioning is presented. The aims of the study were to map group members’ perception of the socio-emotive quality of their own group functioning and to examine if and how problems in groups of learners can be detected as soon as possible. Having demonstrated that dysfunctionalities within groups can be detected rather early, the authors hope that corrective interventions can be implemented when they can still have an effect.

A Constructivist Framework for Online Collaborative Learning

The purpose of this chapter is to review and discuss theoretical perspectives that help to frame collaborative learning online. The chapter investigates literature about the type of learning and behavior that are anticipated and researched among participants learning collaboratively and discusses how these attributes explain computer-supported collaborative learning. The literature about learning is influenced by perspectives from a number of fields, particularly philosophy, psychology, and sociology. This chapter describes some of these perspectives from the fields of cognitive psychology, adult learning, and collaborative group learning. Recent research into computer-supported collaborative learning that applies these theories will also be discussed.

Collaboration or Cooperation? Analyzing Small Group Interactions in Educational Environments

This chapter illustrates how computer-mediated discourse analysis (CMDA) can be used systematically to investigate online communication. It argues that intended outcomes of learner interactions, such as meaningful dialogue and joint knowledge construction, must be identified and analyzed to better understand the effectiveness of online learning activities. The CMDA approach is illustrated through analysis of a synchronous chat held by a three-person graduate student group as it completed a course assignment at a distance. Findings from the analysis reveal that while all group members participated in the task and communicated with mutual respect, a cooperative rather than collaborative approach was taken, and group members did not challenge initial opinions. These findings can assist with the future instructional design of such online learning tasks. It is hoped that this chapter provides guidance to researchers in identifying intended outcomes of online collaboration and utilizing CMDA to determine whether the outcomes have been met.

Online Group Projects

This chapter provides an overview of the literature on group projects in online learning and outlines lesson modules for teaching online instructors to use group projects in their courses. The lessons themselves are structured to be an example of online staff development for distance learning faculty. While group projects are often included in on-campus classes, faculty teaching online courses are reluctant to use group projects for these classes. The technology and the students’ acceptance of the online learning environment should be used to extend the pedagogical benefits of group work. With adequate staff development, online instructors can successfully integrate group learning into online classes.

The Collective Building of Knowledge in Collaborative Learning Environments

The intention of this chapter is to investigate how collaborative learning environments (CLEs) can be used to elicit the collective building of knowledge. This work discusses CLEs as lively cognitive systems and looks at some strategies that might contribute to the improvement of significant pedagogical practices. The study is supported by rhizome principles, whose characteristics allow us to understand the process of selecting and connecting what is relevant and meaningful for the collective building of knowledge. A brief theoretical and conceptual approach is presented and major contributions and difficulties about collaborative learning environments are discussed. New questions and future trends about the collective building of knowledge are suggested.