Countries around the world, and the developing areas are not the exception, are making big investments in information and communication technologies. A good part of it is been applied to education; however, most of its educational potential is lost because the technology is generally used under the traditional transmission paradigm. Thus, innovative ways of teaching are needed in the online environments. Fortunately, this void is amply filled out by the Robert's book "Online Collaborative Learning: Theory and Practice" because it answers cogently a variety of fundamental questions in the field. This is an essential book for all professional practitioners in the field of Instructional Technology because it not only gives them ample theoretical bases, but also plenty of good practical advice in how to develop a sound online collaborative learning experience."
– Antonio Santos, Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico
Online learning researchers and practitioners need knowledge of new forms of learning made possible by the Internet. Only now is the significance of online collaborative learning beginning to be understood. This book represents the leading edge of pedagogic knowledge and practice in online collaborative learning-readers can be confident of the authority and relevance of its [content].
– Sheena Banks, University of Sheffield
The topics in this book apply to a worldwide audience and contain contributions from an international field of researchers. It has excellent insights into structuring and teaching collaborative groups online as well as strategies for researching and analyzing these online processes. Recommended highly for both teachers and researchers of the filed of computer supported collaborative learning.
– Elizabeth Stacey, Deakin University, Australia