We have proposed a set of seven affordances that technology should and can provide to support collaborative learning based on theories about collaborative learning mechanisms and CSCL practices (Jeong & Hmelo-Silver, under review). These affordances have been elaborated using content analysis as well as narrative description of recent research in the field. Our analysis shows that technology needs to be used in conjunction with pedagogical strategies. In this presentation, I will illustrate these with examples from engineering and computer science education.

Biography

Dr. Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver is Director of the Center for Research on Learning and Technology and Professor of Learning Sciences at Indiana University.  She received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1994.  Her research focuses on learning in complex domains, computer-supported collaborative learning, and technology support for problem-based learning. She has worked with populations ranging from middle school students to pre-service teachers to medical students.  She has edited several books on collaborative learning  and is past editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Learning Sciences. She is currently past-president of the International Society of Learning Sciences.