Moving to Their Own Beat: Exploring How Students Use Web 2.0 Technologies to Support Group Work outside of Class Time.

Abstract

Over the years, researchers have consistently reported that, regardless of the subject matter, students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is taught and retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional formats (Beckman, 1990; Chickering & Gamson, 1991). The majority of these research studies have focused on cooperative learning techniques in the classroom, but there are few studies that have investigated the impact of group work and peer instruction on student learning outside of the classroom. A similar trend appears to exist with regards to student use of technology. There are a number of studies that have