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Introduction
The impact of the new computing and communication technologies on many aspects of modern life has been
dramatic - nowhere more so than in the field of education in general, and higher
education in particular.
Today the predominant paradigm in higher education is still the lecture/tutorial model, where most of the learning takes place face-to-face, and, to use Moore's terminology, via learner-content or learner-instructor interaction.
It seems likely that this paradigm is on the verge of being overthrown, and that in the near future, much learning will take place collaboratively online, with the majority of the interaction being learner-learner oriented.
By online, we mean that most learners are likely be geographically isolated, studying perhaps from home, but with full access to all of the necessary resources via their Internet connection. Materials
(such as lecture notes) and processes (such as assignment submission) will be electronic, and interaction will be either synchronous (eg via chat-rooms or videoconferencing
facilities) or asynchronous (eg via email or discussion lists).
By collaborative, we mean that despite their differing locations, most learners will conduct most of their learning in groups. Such groups are likely to be
wholly virtual, in the sense that their component members may never meet face-to-face. They are, however,
in all other respects very real, and group members will be highly reliant on others in the group for the quality of their learning.
Depending upon circumstances, such groups may be formal or informal, small or large, homogeneous or heterogeneous. In such an environment where
most learning takes place via group interaction, the instructor is likely to act more as a facilitator than as an active deliverer of knowledge.
By learning, we mean that in group learning environments, less emphasis is likely to be placed on memorisation, rote learning, and cramming for examinations, and more on real-world abilities such as communication, problem-solving, and articulation of solutions.
This is in line with the requirements of employers, who constantly express the
view via surveys that when looking at graduates, they regard real-world skills
as being at least as important as content expertise. It is also in line
with the desire of instructors and educators, who often correctly form the view
that for many students, the priority is to "pass the exam", rather
than to learn the necessary skills.
By higher education, we mean to refer not only to the college and university sectors, but also to all other institutions that seek to provide knowledge and skills to adult learners.
Though changes are likely to take place initially at institutions of higher
education within the more developed
countries, such changes are likely to be all-pervasive as and when the Internet extends
its reach to those in less well-developed corners of the globe.
Online collaborative learning is also referred to as Computer-Supported Collaborative
Learning, or CSCL. As educators begin to realise the enormous potential for new forms of learning provided by the new technologies,
it can be expected that interest in this field will expand dramatically in the next few years.
Already
there are many conferences which actively seek contributions in this area, the foremost of
which is probably the bi-annual CSCL conference. Research centres devoted
to online learning are
springing up around the world, most especially in Scandinavia, the UK, the USA, and
parts of south-east Asia. Educational
journals everywhere are taking a renewed interest in papers on collaborative learning.
And publishers are looking to produce books to cater for the growing demand by
educators to understand, and take best advantage of, the new environment.
Into
the area of online collaborative learning come experts from a variety of fields: learning theory, multimedia,
instructional design, cognitive psychology, educational management,
communication technology, artificial intelligence, and others. We have only just begun to explore the
synergies that can take place when skilled people from such diverse fields join
together for the common purpose of producing more effective and efficient
learning environments.
Who
knows what the next ten years will bring? For
all of us involved in learning in some form or other, whether as educators or
students, it is an exciting
time.
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