Computer Software Support for Collaborative Learning

In this chapter, we discuss two approaches to supporting collaborative learning activities in higher education through technological means: structuring and regulating collaboration (Dillenbourg, 2002). Structuring approaches aim to create favorable conditions for learning by designing and scripting the situation before the interaction begins. They attempt to define the structure of the learning experience by varying the characteristics of the participants (e.g. the size and composition of the group, or definition and distribution of roles), the availability and characteristics of tools and communication media, and the nature of the task (e.g. writing, problemsolving). Regulation approaches support collaboration by taking actions after the interaction has begun. They compare the dynamically changing state of student interaction to a model of “desired” interaction, and intervene when discrepancies between these two states are discovered (Jermann, Soller, & Muehlenbrock, 2001).