Although research in collaborative learning has a fairly long history, dating back at least to the early work of Piaget and Vygotsky, it is only recently that workers have begun to apply some of its findings to the design of computer based learning systems. The early generation of the!le systems focused on their potential for supporting individual learning: learning could be self paced; teaching could be adapted to individual learners' needs. This was certainly the promise of the later generation of intelligent tutoring systems. However, this promise has yet to be realised. Not only are there still some very difficult research problems to solve in providing adaptive learning systems, but there are also some very real practical constraints on the widespread take up of individualised computer based instruction. Reseachers soon began to realise that the organisational, cultural and social contexts of the classroom have to be taken into account in designing systems to promote effective learning. Much of the work that goes on in classrooms is collaborative, whether by design or not. Teachers also need to be able to adapt the technology to their varying needs. Developments in technology, such as networking, have also contributed to changes in the way in which computers may be envisaged to support learning. In September 1989, a group of researchers met in Maratea, Italy, for a NATO-sponsored workshop on "Computer supported collaborative . learning". A total of 20 researchers from Europe (Belgium.

Decades of research have shown that student collaboration in groups doesn't just happen; rather it needs to be a deliberate process facilitated by the instructor. Promoting collaboration in virtual learning environments presents a variety of challenges. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Best Practices & Principles for Instructors answers the demand for a thorough resource on techniques to facilitate effective collaborative learning in virtual environments. This book provides must-have information on the role of the instructor in computer-supported collaborative learning, real-world perspectives on virtual learning group collaboration, and supporting learning group motivation.

The Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Conference 2013 proceedings, Volume 1

This book is an edited volume of case studies exploring the uptake and use of computer supported collaborative learning in work settings. This book fills a significant gap in the literature. A number of existing works provide empirical research on collaborative work practices (Lave & Wenger, 1987; Davenport, 2005), the sharing of information at work (Brown & Duguid, 2000), and the development of communities of practice in workplace settings (Wenger, 1998). Others examine the munificent variation of information and communication technology use in the work place, including studies of informal social networks, formal information distribution and other socio-technical combinations found in work settings (Gibson & Cohen, 2003). Another significant thread of prior work is focused on computer supported collaborative learning, much of it investigating the application of computer support for learning in the context of traditional educational institutions, like public schools, private schools, colleges and tutoring organizations. Exciting new theories of how knowledge is constructed by groups (Stahl, 2006), how teachers contribute to collaborative learning (reference to another book in the series) and the application of socio-technical scripts for learning is explicated in book length works on CSCL. Book length empirical work on CSCW is widespread, and CSCL book length works are beginning to emerge with greater frequency. We distinguish CSCL at Work from prior books written under the aegis of training and development, or human resources more broadly. The book aims to fill a void between existing works in CSCW and CSCL, and will open with a chapter characterizing the emerging application of collaborative learning theories and practices to workplace learning. CSCL and CSCW research each make distinct and important contributions to the construction of collaborative workplace learning.

CSCL has in the past 15 years (and often in conjunction with Springer) grown into a thriving and active community. Yet, lacking is a comprehensive CSCL handbook that displays the range of research being done in this area. This handbook will provide an overview of the diverse aspects of the field, allowing newcomers to develop a sense of the entirety of CSCL research and for existing community members to become more deeply aware of work outside their direct area. The handbook will also serve as a ready reference for foundational concepts, methods, and approaches in the field. The chapters are written in such a way that each of them can be used in a stand-alone fashion while also serving as introductory readings in relevant study courses or in teacher education. While some CSCL-relevant topics are addressed in the International Handbook of the Learning Sciences and the International Handbook of Collaborative Learning, these books do not aim to present an integrated and comprehensive view of CSCL. The International Handbook of Computer- Supported Collaborative Learning covers all relevant topics in CSCL, particularly recent developments in the field, such as the rise of computational approaches and learning analytics.

This book addresses computer-supported collaborative learning (also known as CSCL) particularly within a tertiary education environment. It includes articles on theory and practice in this area including topics such as: how can groups with shared goals work collaboratively using the new technologies? What problems can be expected, and what are the benefits? In what ways does online group work differ from face-to-face group work? And what implications are there for both educators and students seeking to work in this area?

This book discusses the significance of flexible scripting to structure CSCL against the framework of “Script theory of guidance” and reports on findings from two empirical studies on the effects of flexible scripting on collaboration in CSCL scenarios. In the first empirical study flexibility was accomplished through adaptivity, and through adaptability in the second. The results of these studies show that adaptive and adaptable scripts enhanced the quality of collaborative knowledge construction processes as well as learners’ collaboration skills, compared to inflexible scripts. The findings presented in this book will contribute to theory building of the scripting approach in CSCL. The authors propose two innovative ways of achieving flexible scripting and address the mechanisms by which adaptive versus adaptable script influences collaborative knowledge construction. Moreover, the adaptive and adaptable scripting approaches provide hands-on examples for practitioners and contribute to their understanding of teaching design in CSCL settings.

Adaptation and personalization have been extensively studied in CSCL research community aiming to design intelligent systems that adaptively support eLearning processes and collaboration. Yet, with the fast development in Internet technologies, especially with the emergence of new data technologies and the mobile technologies, new opportunities and perspectives are opened for advanced adaptive and personalized systems. Adaptation and personalization are posing new research and development challenges to nowadays CSCL systems. In particular, adaptation should be focused in a multi-dimensional way (cognitive, technological, context-aware and personal). Moreover, it should address the particularities of both individual learners and group collaboration. As a consequence, the aim of this book is twofold. On the one hand, it discusses the latest advances and findings in the area of intelligent adaptive and personalized learning systems. On the other hand it analyzes the new implementation perspectives for intelligent adaptive learning and collaborative systems that are brought by the advances in scripting languages, IMS LD, educational modeling languages and learning activity management systems. Given the variety of learning needs as well as the existence of different technological solutions, the book exemplifies the methodologies and best practices through several case studies and adaptive real-world collaborative learning scenarios, which show the advancement in the field of analysis, design and implementation of intelligent adaptive and personalized systems.

This book proposes and validates an information flow approach to analyzing knowledge co-construction and predicting group performance in the context of collaborative learning. In addition, it highlights the importance of socially shared regulation in collaborative learning, and illustrates in detail how it can be analyzed and promoted. The book investigates several innovative examples, including: Methodological approaches to studying and analyzing knowledge building and regulation in collaborative learning; Social software tools for capturing the dynamics of knowledge building and regulation in collaborative learning; Collective regulatory mechanisms to scaffold socially shared regulation in real-life collaborative learning; and Scripts and interventions to facilitate effective and productive collaborative learning on the basis of several case studies. The original methodological contributions to the analysis of knowledge building and scaffolding socially shared regulation make this an essential read for anyone interested in collaborative learning. This book will also be of interest to a wide audience of researchers, teachers, and students in the field of collaborative learning, as well as the rapidly growing community of people investigating how collaborative learning can be effectively used in education.

These essays are some of the most important papers co-written with my colleagues that supplement the discussion of CSCL research in the published books. These chapters take the discussion in specific directions. They begin with my general reflections on the importance of CSCL as a research field, situating my work on the VMT Project and my theory of group cognition within the field of CSCL. They describe the VMT research project, including its research approach, technology, pedagogy and analysis methods. Mostly, they discuss in some detail the findings that have emerged from the VMT Project about the nature of online interaction in that type of CSCL setting. The volume concludes with reports of work in the project and future directions that were underway.