STUDENT INTERACTION AND COLLABORATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN NEW LIBYA

Learning with understanding requires building upon learners’ prior knowledge about a topic and of learners’ active involvement in their learning. Based on four essential elements of effective learning environments: i.e. learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered. It demonstrates how Libyan Academy initiative on Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration in Environmental Science & Engineering Education in New Libya is able to shift in pedagogical perspectives and theoretical frameworks. It is able to enhance student interaction at the heart of learner‐centered constructivist environments. It highlights the potential benefits of emerging technology tools such as wikis, blogs, and podcasts to foster student interaction in online learning. It also reviews social networking using software applications such as Writeboard™, InstaColl™, and Imeem™. The influence of technology on theory and the possible implications this influence is briefly outlined.

Finally role, relevance and limitations of new and emerging technologies that offer a vast range of opportunities for promoting collaboration in both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments is described along with the challenges that may limit or deter implementation of these technologies for Environmental Science & Engineering Education in New Libya