Co-constructing Artefacts and Knowledge in Net- Based Teams: Implications for the Design of Collaborative Learning Environments

Computer-based learning environments for science and mathematics education support predominantly individual learning; from first generation drill and practice programs to today’s advanced, knowledge-based tutorial systems, one learner interacting with one computer has been the typical setting. Mathematics educators, however, increasingly appreciate the value of collaborative learning and include team-learning activities in their lessons. In this presentation, drawing on our research in science and design areas, an overview is provided of the approaches and lessons learned regarding computer-supported collaborative learning and a number of design guidelines for computer-supported collaborative learning environments are suggested. Since equations and graphs are so important in mathematics, particular attention is paid to the role of external representations (and their co-construction) for computer-mediated collaboration.