Online Collaborative Learning Theory and Practice

Online collaborative learning is an idea whose time has come. The desire by students to undertake programs and courses via the Internet and access resources online is forever altering the nature of formal education. Many institutions and educators have been caught largely unprepared for the radical changes forced upon them. Research into teaching and learning techniques that are effective in the online environment is therefore both urgent and important.
The educational changes necessitated by the new computing and communication technologies are profound. The new environment is one in which students are more likely to come from a diverse range of backgrounds, have differing levels of technical and language abilities and have the desire to study at times and in places of their own choosing. Thus research into paradigms beyond those traditionally associated with universities, where students are often obliged to attend classes on-campus, sit through lectures and attend face-toface tutorials, is long overdue. One such paradigm that holds significant promise is that of online collaborative (or group) learning.