Teacher's Role in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

Metafora is Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) software environment, funded by the EU commission, and currently under development. Its aim is to support collaborative learning in mathematics and science fusing several advanced technological and pedagogical ideas. The software will include a tool for the students to plan their activities, a tool with space for argumentative discussions and software components for facilitation of science and math inquiry called "microworlds". A group of 3-5 students receive a challenge to which they will need to answer in two weeks time. They plan how to solve it, simulate, discuss and exchange materials, while the teacher moderates the learning process, instead of giving a frontal lecture. Such a learning environment presents challenges for us, the developers, thus we have developed a series of seminars in which we have learned about the roles of the teachers in such a learning environment.