Underlying Factors of Sense of Community in Asynchronous Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environments

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) incorporates collaborative learning activities and communication between participants and among groups via networked computers, where interactions can be synchronous or asynchronous (Naidu & Ja ̈rvela, 2006). The ubiquitous characteristic of CSCL environments, combined with their interactive group learning capabilities is becoming more and more important in education (Strijbos & Weinberger, 2009; Janssen, Erkens, Kanselaar, & Jaspers 2006; Kreijns, Kirschner, & Jochems, 2002). Yet, while technologically those environments have considerably improved over recent years, studies have shown that the social dimension of CSCL is often neglected or assumed it will arise by default in these virtual learning environments (Kreijns, Kirschner, & Jochems, 2003). It is also reported that although such environments offer a variety of benefits, learners’ isolation Abstract