Introduction into the field

(Computer-supported) collaborative learning

04/10/23

Essi Vuopala/ LET

Introduction to Learning and Educational TechnologyEssi Vuopala

Content of the lecture

• Defining collaborative learning and CSCL

• Group task I• Technology to

support learning• Group task II

FROM INDIVIDUAL TO COLLABORATIVE…

Behaviorism (1910 )

• Stimulus – response• Reinforcement• In teaching

– Instant feedback– Splitting– Passing quickly the

mistakes

Cognitivism (1960)

• Learning as information processing.

• Cognitive conflict– Assimilation– Accommodation

• Metacognition

What is collaborative learning

• one specific theory• single pedagogical method or psychological process

(Crook 2000; Dillenbourg 2002)

Collaborative learning refers to studying method where group members have joint task and they are committed to construct a joint understanding through social interaction.

(Baker 2002)

Collaborative learning can be seen as a space where the group members create new knowledge together.

And what it is not…

(Lave & Wenger 1991)

Collaborative learning refers to the culture of knowledge building and learning is considered equal to learners’ growing ability to participate in learning communities’ actions.

Collaborative – co-operative

Common elements (collaborative – co-operative)

• Learning is active• Teacher as a

facilitator• Learning as

shared experiece• Small group

activities• Learners

responsibility• Social and team

skills

Kirschner, 2001

Collaborative learning is effective because it

might actuate important learning

mechanisms.

Collaborative learning is effective because it

might actuate important learning

mechanisms.

•asking and explaining

•argumenting and giving feedback

•sharing knowledge

•following other’s strategies

Why collaborative learning?

Requirements of information society

Latest learning research

Increasing amount of knowlwege

Rapid change of working- and everyday life

Social interaction between learners is the main factor in successful learning.

However…

– Not all types of interaction lead to high-level of collaborative learning.

Interaction forms in successful collaborative learning (Vuopala 2013, in press)

Group-related Task-related

Group-related Task-related

Coordinating groupwork

Sosio- emotional aspects

New knowledge

Comment/ answer

Question

Collaborative learning is not a spontaneous process structuring/orchestrating

Group discussion I

• What the future will be– Going back to

past?– Combining best

ideas form different perspectives?

– Something totally new?

SUPPORTING LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY

Learningenvironment

(process)

Technology-supported learning

Technology as a part of other teaching activities

• slides

• linklists

• announcements

•peer-tutoring

• teacher tutoring

• feedback discussions

•Web-courses

• self-study materials

• electronic books

• distance-learning

B C

A D

Media for sharing the

material (product)

(Hein, Ihanainen & Nieminen 2000)

•www-pages•blogs•email

•www-pages•cd-roms

•Web-platforms•Video-conference

• Skype• wikis, blogs

•Web-platforms•wikis, blogs

Behaviorism•’Drill and practice’•Teaching machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTH3ob1IRFo

Cognitivism•Multimedia teaching programs•1970 Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPcoZPjL2G8

Supporting collaboration with technology

• Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)– How collaboration can be supported (in a

meaningful way) by technology, either virtually or face-to-face.

– CSCL research is interested in how the interaction between learners and function of the group can be supported with technology and how technology can promote sharing of knowledge and expertise among learners.

CSCL research in general

• …covers small scale studies (two learners collaborating for 30 minutes) and large scale studies (several thousand learners studying collaboratively over several years),

• …includes contexts where collaboration take place only virtually and contexts where face-to-face collaboration is supported with technology,

• …covers both quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, and

• …is based in various theoretical approahces (socio-cultural, socio-cognitive, group dynamical etc.)

04/10/23

Essi Vuopala/ LET

CSCL research

•Current: – Identify interactions that leads to learning (based on socio-

cognitive conflict theory) engaging learners to argumentation with each other.

– Collaboration scripts: making interaction more productive– Affordances: relationships between agents and their

environments, relationships that offer potentials for action.– Affective issues in CSCL: Socially shared regulation,

emotions and motivation during CSCL– Orhestration: process of coordinating supportive

interventions across multiple learning activities occuring at multiple social levels.

•Future:– Combining individual and group approaches.

(Suthers, D. D. (2012). Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning. In N. M. Seel (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. New York: Springer.Dillenbourg, Järvelä, & Fischer, 2009)

04/10/23

Essi Vuopala/ LET

Group discussion II

• Technology to support learning– What, when and

why?

Questions?

Thank you!

Jigsaw II, 26.9.2014

• Working in expert-groups– Write out a short summary of main

contents of your article (’storyline’)– Use ’Explain everything’ to illustrate your

summary.

• Presenting your stories to other