Collaborative digital learning in schools: teacher perceptions of purpose and effectiveness

Abstract

Research on the place of digital collaborative learning in schools has established its extensive use for the provision of online courses (Stevens, 2007), for learning within schools (Orech, 2009) and as a means of promoting inter-cultural education (Austin, 2006). Given that teachers’ understanding and practice in collaborative learning is critical, the authors examine in this article teachers’ perception of collaboration and collaborative learning in terms of a model for understanding different levels of engagement with digital collaboration. They also seek to explore the reasons for teachers’ perceptions and how this may impact on their participation in online collaborative learning projects.