Learning and teaching in a synchronous collaborative environment

Abstract

Despite obvious domination of asynchronous collaborative technologies, especially for virtual classrooms and distance education, the work presented in this paper is based on the assumption that some students will still prefer the experience of on‐campus, face‐to‐face collaborative learning. For those students a new synchronous collaborative environment is created by combining an innovative methodology for ‘same‐time, same‐place’ interactive learning and the technology called Group Support Systems which is designed to provide not only communication but rather computer‐mediated collaboration. This paper introduces this learning methodology and illustrates its potential to improve critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills of all students who are stimulated to participate as equal learners. It also describes how teachers are transformed from ‘information delivery specialists’ to guides and facilitators of learning.