Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Strengths and weaknesses

Collaborative learning is an instructional situation in which students interact while accomplishing an academic task. Collaborative learning as a theory on the whole is not a new idea (Gaillet, 1994), but the concept of computer supported collaborative learning is (Cerratto and Belisle, 1995). But what actually is computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) and how effective can it really be? What are the strengths and weaknesses of CSCL? How can learning, communication and interaction be encouraged? And what are the disadvantages if the interaction is not forthcoming? This paper explores these and other related issues.