The Role Of Technology In Cscl

This book relates contemporary information and communication technologies (ICT) to their specific teaching and learning functions, including how ICT is appropriated for and by educational or learning communities. The technological "hot spots" of interest in this book include: groupware or multi-user technologies such as group archives or synchronous co-construction environments, embedded interactive technologies in the spirit of ubiquitous computing, and modeling tools based on rich representations.

A Dutch policy scientist once said the information and knowledge in the twenty-first century has the shelf life of fresh fish, and learning in this age often means learning where and how to find something and how to relate it to a specific situation instead of knowing everything one needs to know. On top of this, the world has become so highly interconnected that we have come to realise that every decision that we make can have repercussions somewhere else. To touch as many bases as possible, we need to work with knowledgeable others from different fields (multiple agents) and take heed of their points of view (multiple representations). To do this, we make increasing use of computers and computer-mediated communication. If computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is not simply a newly discovered hype in education, what is it and why are we writing a book about it? Dissecting the phrase into its constituent parts, we see that first of all CSCL is about learning, and in the twenty-first century this usually means constructivist learning.

CSCL 2: Carrying Forward the Conversation is a thorough and up-to-date survey of recent developments in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, one of the fastest growing areas of research in the learning sciences. A follow-up to CSCL: Theory and Practice of an Emerging Paradigm (1996), this volume both documents how the field has grown and fosters a meaningful discussion of how the research program might be advanced in substantive ways. Recognizing the long-standing traditions of CSCL work in Europe and Japan, the editors sought to broaden and expand the conversation both geographically and topically. The 45 participating authors represent a range of disciplinary backgrounds, including anthropology, communication studies, computer science, education, psychology, and philosophy, and offer international perspectives on the field. For each chapter, the goal was not only to show how it connects to past and future work in CSCL, but also how it contributes to the interests of other research communities. Toward this end, the volume features a "conversational structure" consisting of target chapters, invited commentaries, and author responses. The commentaries on each chapter were solicited from a diverse collection of writers, including prominent scholars in anthropology of education, social studies of science, CSCW, argumentation, activity theory, language and social interaction, ecological psychology, and other areas. The volume is divided into three sections: *Part I explores four case studies of technology transfer involving CSILE, one of the most prominent CSCL projects. *Part II focuses on empirical studies of learning in collaborative settings. *Part III describes novel CSCL technologies and the theories underlying their design. Historically, there has been a certain amount of controversy as to what the second "C" in CSCL should represent. The conventional meaning is "collaborative" but there are many C-words that can be seen as relevant. With the publication of this volume, "conversational" might be added to the list and, in this spirit, the book might be viewed as an invitation to join a conversation in progress and to carry it forward.

This book is an edited volume of case studies exploring the uptake and use of computer supported collaborative learning in work settings. This book fills a significant gap in the literature. A number of existing works provide empirical research on collaborative work practices (Lave & Wenger, 1987; Davenport, 2005), the sharing of information at work (Brown & Duguid, 2000), and the development of communities of practice in workplace settings (Wenger, 1998). Others examine the munificent variation of information and communication technology use in the work place, including studies of informal social networks, formal information distribution and other socio-technical combinations found in work settings (Gibson & Cohen, 2003). Another significant thread of prior work is focused on computer supported collaborative learning, much of it investigating the application of computer support for learning in the context of traditional educational institutions, like public schools, private schools, colleges and tutoring organizations. Exciting new theories of how knowledge is constructed by groups (Stahl, 2006), how teachers contribute to collaborative learning (reference to another book in the series) and the application of socio-technical scripts for learning is explicated in book length works on CSCL. Book length empirical work on CSCW is widespread, and CSCL book length works are beginning to emerge with greater frequency. We distinguish CSCL at Work from prior books written under the aegis of training and development, or human resources more broadly. The book aims to fill a void between existing works in CSCW and CSCL, and will open with a chapter characterizing the emerging application of collaborative learning theories and practices to workplace learning. CSCL and CSCW research each make distinct and important contributions to the construction of collaborative workplace learning.

This book, about a newly emerging area of research in instructional technology, has as its title the acronym "CSCL." Initially, CSCL was chosen as an acronym for Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning. However, some would argue that "collaborative" is often not a descriptive term for what learners do in instructional settings; further, as the field develops, the technology used to support collaboration may not always involve computers, at least not in the direct ways they have been used to support instruction in the past. To avoid getting bogged down in this terminological debate, this book uses CSCL as a designation in its own right, leaving open to interpretation precisely what words it stands for. The authors talk a great deal about the theory underlying their work. In part, this is because that is what they were asked to do, but it is also an indication of the state of the field. In an established paradigm in which the theories and methods are well agreed upon, such discussion is less central. CSCL, however, has not yet reached the stage of "normal" science. There is much to be worked out yet. This book is offered with the hope that it will help to define a direction for future work in this field. The chapters appear in alphabetical order (except for the introductory chapter and the afterword) -- not for lack of a better way to organize the chapters, but rather because the organizational possibilities are too numerous and this order does not privilege one over another. By not imposing a topical organizing structure on this collection, it is hoped that readers will feel freer to explore the chapters in a way that best suits their needs. COPY FOR BIND-CARD CD-ROM info ................................. There is an accompanying CD-Rom for this proceedings that will become available September 1998. Purchasers of the proceedings may obtain a copy of this CD-ROM at no cost by contacting Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. phone: (201) 236-9500 toll-free: 1-800-9-BOOKS-9 (1-800-926-6579) 9am-5pm EST fax: (201) 236-0072 e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.erlbaum.com address: 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262 The CD-ROM was funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Theoretically, the term "script" appears to be rather ill-defined. This book clarifies the use of the term "script" in education. It approaches the term from at least three perspectives: cognitive psychology perspective, computer science perspective, and an educational perspective. The book provides learners with scripts that support them both in communication/coordination and in higher-order learning.

This book addresses computer-supported collaborative learning (also known as CSCL) particularly within a tertiary education environment. It includes articles on theory and practice in this area including topics such as: how can groups with shared goals work collaboratively using the new technologies? What problems can be expected, and what are the benefits? In what ways does online group work differ from face-to-face group work? And what implications are there for both educators and students seeking to work in this area?

CSCL has in the past 15 years (and often in conjunction with Springer) grown into a thriving and active community. Yet, lacking is a comprehensive CSCL handbook that displays the range of research being done in this area. This handbook will provide an overview of the diverse aspects of the field, allowing newcomers to develop a sense of the entirety of CSCL research and for existing community members to become more deeply aware of work outside their direct area. The handbook will also serve as a ready reference for foundational concepts, methods, and approaches in the field. The chapters are written in such a way that each of them can be used in a stand-alone fashion while also serving as introductory readings in relevant study courses or in teacher education. While some CSCL-relevant topics are addressed in the International Handbook of the Learning Sciences and the International Handbook of Collaborative Learning, these books do not aim to present an integrated and comprehensive view of CSCL. The International Handbook of Computer- Supported Collaborative Learning covers all relevant topics in CSCL, particularly recent developments in the field, such as the rise of computational approaches and learning analytics.