The article “Computer-supported collaborative learning”, authored by Núria Hernández-Sellés, Pablo César Muñoz-Carril, and Mercedes González-Sanmamed, represents a key contribution to understanding the role of technology-mediated collaborative learning in contemporary higher education.
From a critical and well-grounded perspective, the authors analyze how the digitalization of educational contexts, driven by transformations in industry and digital culture, demands going beyond the development of technical skills by incorporating a humanistic approach that places collaboration, interaction, and the socio-emotional dimension at the center of teaching and learning processes.
The article delves into the framework of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), highlighting the need for rigorous pedagogical design that integrates cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional dimensions, as well as technological, pedagogical, and relational conditions.
Based on a solid review of the literature, the authors emphasize the importance of social presence, multiple forms of interaction (cognitive, social, and technological), and the role of teaching staff as mediators, facilitators, and designers of collaborative learning experiences. The main challenges for effective implementation are also identified, particularly teacher training and the gap between formal university practices and students’ collaborative digital cultures.
This work has additional value as it serves as the introductory article to the special issue “Computer-supported collaborative learning” published in RIED–Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, coordinated by the authors themselves.
In this regard, the article not only establishes the conceptual and theoretical framework of the monograph but also articulates the core themes that underpin the studies it includes, offering an integrative and up-to-date view of online collaborative learning as a key strategy for promoting a more inclusive, reflective higher education aligned with the challenges of the twenty-first century.
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How to Cite: Hernández-Sellés, N., Muñoz-Carril, P. C., & González-Sanmamed, M. (2024). Computer-supported collaborative learning. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(2), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.2.40208
