Using Jigsaw and Case Study for supporting online collaborative learning
In CSCL contexts (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) collaborative activities with different levels of structuredeness arc often used to foster discussion and exchange among students and enhance collaboration In this field the debate around whether and to what extent it is useful to structure the activities Proposed to students, is still very lively. In this paper two collaborative activities are explored, namely a simple Case Study (moderate level of structuredness) and the Case Study Joint with the Jigsaw (higher level of structuredness) Starting from the analysis of the interactions occurred among students of two real online courses performing these activities, it is possible to identify strong points and weaknesses of the two activities, so to draw some reflections on the impact of structuredness on the collaborative learning process. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
cooperative/collaborative learning teaching/learning strategies pedagogical issues evaluation methodologies computer-mediated communication