- Research Articles
- Article
- Open access
- Published:
ICTs and collaborative learning: a case study of a class blog for improving the writing skills of pre-university students
TIC y aprendizaje colaborativo: el caso de un blog de aula para mejorar las habilidades de escritura de los estudiantes preuniversitarios
International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education volume 10, pages 254–268 (2013)
Abstract
In a previous study published in RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal, we observed that blogs in Spanish aimed at textual comprehension and production still lacked the instruments and materials to foster the cognitive processes necessary for collaborative creation of new knowledge. Given that context, this article studies a specific case of using a class blog in an Argentinean university, in which didactic strategies to encourage group writing activities have been put into practice. This case study will provide an important empirical basis for reflection on collaborative learning in blog writing activities.
Resumen
En un estudio previo, publicado en esta misma revista, hemos observado que los blogs en español orientados a la comprensión y producción textual aún carecen de instrumentos y materiales que favorezcan los procesos cognitivos necesarios para la elaboración colaborativa de nuevos conocimientos. Frente a esta situación, en el presente artículo, analizamos un caso específico de uso de blogs de aula en una universidad argentina, en el cual se han puesto en práctica estrategias didácticas para favorecer el trabajo grupal en torno a las actividades de escritura. El análisis de este caso provee una base empírica relevante para reflexionar sobre el aprendizaje colaborativo en actividades de escritura en blogs.
References
ÁLVAREZ, G. (2012). “New Technologies in the University Context: The Use of Blogs for Developing Students’ Reading and Writing Skills” [online article]. RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal. Vol. 9, No 2, pages 3–17. UOC. [Accessed: 19 December 2012]. <http://www.ungs.edu.ar/ms_idh/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/guadalupe_article_esp.pdf>
ÁLVAREZ, G.; GARCÁA, M.; QUÉS, M. E. (2010). “Entornos virtuales de aprendizaje y didáctica de la Lengua. Una propuesta para mejorar las habilidades de reformulación productiva de estudiantes preuniversitarios” [online article]. Revista Q. Vol. 5, No 9, pages 1–24. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. [Accessed: 19 December 2012]. <http://revistaq.upb.edu.co/articulos/ver/343>
BEREITER, C.; SCARDAMALIA, M. (1987). The psychology of written composition. Hillsdale. NJ: Erlbaum. 389 pages.
Davoli, P.; MONARI, M.; Severinson, K. (2009). “Peer Activities on Web-Learning Platforms. Impact on Collaborative Writing and Usability Issues”. Education and Information Technologies. Vol. 14, No 3, pages 229–254. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-008-9080-x>
Dillenbourg, P. (2002). “Over-scripting CSCL: The Risks of Blending Collaborative Learning with Instructional Design”. In: P. A. Kirschner (ed.). Three Worlds of CSCL: Can we Support CSCL? Herleen Open Universiteit: Netherlands. Pages 61–92.
Dillenbourg, P. (1999). “What do you mean by collaborative learning?”. In: P. Dillenbourg (ed.). Collaborative-learning: Cognitive and Computational Approaches. Oxford: Elsevier. Pages 1–19.
DUART, J.; SANGRÀ, A. (comp.) (2001). Aprender en la virtualidad. Barcelona: Editorial Gedisa. 253 pages.
Faigley, L. (1990). “Subverting the electronic workbook: Teaching writing using networked computers”. In: D. Baker, M. Monenberg (eds). The writing teacher as researcher: Essays in the theory and practice of class-based research. Portsmouth. NH: Heinemann. Pages 290–311.
Goldberg, A.; Russell, M.; Cook, A. (2003). “The Effect of Computers on Student Writing: A Meta-Analysis of Studies from 1992 to 2002” The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment. Vol. 2, No 1, pages 1–52.
GROS SALVAT, B. (2004). “La construcción del conocimiento en la red: límites y posibilidades” [online article]. Teoría de la Educación: Educación y Cultura en la Sociedad de la Información. No 5. Universidad de Salamanca. [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. <http://campus.usal.es/∼teoriaeducacion/rev_numero_05/n5_art_gros.htm>
HAYES, J. (1996). “A new model of cognition and affect in writing”. In: The Science of Writing. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kreijns, K.; Kirschner, P. A.; Jochems, W. (2003). “Identifying the Pitfalls for Social Interaction in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: a Review of the Research”. Computers in Human Behavior. No 19, pages 335–353. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0747-5632(02)00057-2>
LAURILLARD, D. (2010). “Effective Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning in HE”. International Encyclopedia of Education. Vol. 4, pages 419–426. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.00867-8>
LITWIN, E. (2001). “Las nuevas tecnologías y las prácticas de la enseñanza en la universidad” [online article]. Universidad de Buenos Aires. [Accessed: 9 December 2012]. <http://www.litwin.com.ar/site/Articulos2.asp>
Passig, D.; Schwartz, G. (2007). “Collaborative Writing: Online versus Frontal”. International Journal on e-Learning. Vol. 6, No 3, pages 395–412.
REALE, A. (2008). “Sabía que me gustaba escribir pero nunca pensé que fuera para tanto”. Sobre la eficacia de bitácoras y diarios de escritor en el Taller de Expresión I. Jornadas Académicas 2008 “Producir teoría, pensar las prácticas”. Buenos Aires: Universidad de Buenos Aires.
RODRÍGUEZ ILLERA, J. L.; ESCOFET ROIG, A. (2004). “La enseñanza virtual en la universidad: balance de diez años”. Paper given at the ELAC Conference. Mexico: UAM.
Stahl, G.; Koschmann, T.; Suthers, D. (2006). “Computer-supported collaborative learning: An historical perspective”. In: Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Pages 409–426.
TORRES, P.; RAMA, C. (2010). La educación superior a distancia en América Latina y el Caribe. Santa Catarina: Editora Unisul. 227 pages.
Vasilachis de Gialdino, I. (coord.) (2007). Estrategias de una investigac?ón cualitativa. Buenos Aires: Editorial Gedisa. 277 pages.
Warschauer, M. (2007). “Technology and Writing”. In: C. Davison, J. Cummins (eds.). The International Handbook of English Language Teaching, Norwell, Springer. Pages 907–912. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-46301-8_60>
Yarrow, F.; Topping, K. J. (2001). “Collaborative Writing: The Effects of Metacognitive Prompting and Structured Peer Interaction”. British Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol. 71, No 2, pages 261–282. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/000709901158514>
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits use, duplication, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
About this article
Cite this article
Álvarez, G., Bassa, L. ICTs and collaborative learning: a case study of a class blog for improving the writing skills of pre-university students. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 10, 254–268 (2013). https://doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v10i2.1740
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v10i2.1740