ONLINE COLLABORATION - COMPUTER SUPPORTED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AS A STUDENT INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITY

Today, the internet is an integral part of young people’s lives, a part of the everyday, just as courses and lectures are considered everyday elements of student life. Both of these aspects are promising and have potential for development, for creating more participation opportunities. That is why connecting the two subjects – courses and the internet – by creating lectures where internet usage is not only encouraged but also utilized and made a part of the curriculum is an important step forward. In theory, encouraging the use of the internet in classrooms shouldn’t present much of a problem, because this generation of students is already well-trained in all things computer and internet. A good example of this is “Web 2.0”, or the social web as it has become, which offers users many opportunities to be active, social and to create something together with other users, and which many students are already well acquainted with – but mostly considered only for use in personal life.

School and the Social Web are still viewed separately. The unwritten rule is that private life and school life should be kept separate, so oftentimes it’s difficult for teachers and students alike to find ways of combining the two without risking the loss of the personal, “fun” side of the internet, or risking being seen as unprofessional on the educational side.

Currently the potential of “Computer Supported Collaborative Learning” (CSCL) is being examined on this front. CSCL is learning that is partly computer-assisted and further develops through cooperative work with others. Characteristic of this type of learning is that individuals bring different perspectives and knowledge to the group. In addition to CSCL, “collaborative writing” is gaining front in the social web. Collaborative writing involves individuals banning together to write a text, leaving no one, clearly defined author. Wikis and blogs are common platforms for collaborative writing. Specifically, collaborative (online) publishing is one of many possibilities to utilize the internet in university courses, because it’s already well known by students from their personal lives, but doesn’t clearly fall into the category of only personal life. This might make it easier to integrate into the curriculum, because further introductions can be based on the previous knowledge.

A case study conducted during a course at our faculty in the summer semester of 2010 showed that the above mentioned points are undeniably very relevant. Participation in university courses motivates students to gain new knowledge by sharing ideas and participation possibilities via social web lowers inhibition to participate, thereby making it easier to learn more, because no one feels the need to hold back.

A product of the above mentioned course is a freely accessible blog named “Tools4You”. The blog contains valuable information on social web tools that can be used for collaborative work in learning environments. The blog is kept up-to-date through an ongoing course, in which students can work in different project groups.