COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING E-COMMERCE

Abstract

Collaboration is one of the most important components of learning experiences. However, implementing suitable teaching tools that allow interactivity and collaboration depends greatly on the nature and content of the course. From our point of view, e-Commerce is one of the few subjects which cannot be taught without implementing active learning. Creating a collaborative learning environment is an important factor especially that within this discipline information and communication technologies can facilitate the collaborative and active learning process for students by giving them additional tools to support their work. The purpose of this article is to present different collaborative learning methods (especially those based on web 2.0 tools) and ways in which these could be implemented in teaching e-Commerce given our experience of conducting courses and seminars on this subject. Assuming that it is essential to understand how learners perceive and evaluate these tools, we conducted an exploratory research among graduate students who have attended for Electronic Commerce subject in Master's program in Business from Faculty of Commerce - Academy of Economic Studies, in order to identify best practices for collaborative learning and ways to better fulfill the teachers' and students' requirements in e-Commerce courses and seminars. Our case study seeks to identify learner perceptions of the usefulness of such tecniques, but taking into consideration variables like age, gender, learner attitude and interest, computer proficiency and Internet skills before enrolling in e-Commerce course, educational and professional background, previously active or collaborative experiences in other disciplines in this master's program or in other circumstances.