Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses the theory, design, and technology of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) for promoting collaborative inquiry and productive discourse, illustrated with several major CSCL research traditions. CSCL, which emerged in the 1990s as an interdisciplinary field, examines how collaboration is supported by technology, focusing on social interactions and computational artifacts. CSCL goes beyond individual learning, emphasizing group cognition and the coordinated processes through which learners negotiate and co-construct shared understandings for knowledge construction. This chapter includes seven sections: (1) Introduction, (2) What is CSCL and theoretical perspectives, (3) CSCL technological affordances, (4) Designing CSCL environments and major research programs, (5) Methodology and analysis of collaboration, (6) Emerging themes and design implications, and (7) Future research directions. After introducing the distinctive features of CSCL, the chapter discusses the theoretical underpinnings of CSCL, including socio-cognitive, socio-cultural, and knowledge-creation perspectives, as well as the technological affordances that inform the design of collaborative learning. Several major CSCL traditions are discussed, ranging from structured to open-ended learning environments, including Collaborative Scripting, Metacognition and Regulation, Argumentation, Dialogism, and Knowledge Building, with a focus on theory-design-technology integration. This chapter also explores the analysis of collaboration and CSCL methods and new technologies, including learning analytics, for examining and supporting collaboration. CSCL is a diverse field, and comparative analyses of these different long-standing research traditions highlight emerging theoretical and design implications. Future directions point to different provocations for developing expanded frameworks and designs that embrace diversity and leverage technological advances to support collaboration, innovation, and creativity.