KPE: an example of a CSCL environment

In my last blog I already mentioned the CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) tool as an example of collaborative learning. This time, I would like to explain this tool (or environment) a little deeper, following a specific example of a CSCL environment: the KPE (Knowledge Practices Environment) designed by KP-Lab, which has its origin in Finland. I got to know about this tool in a course that I took at Utrecht University “Webgebaseerde Leeromgevingen” (Web-based Learning Environments). I always felt that CSCL tools are seen as the best option for collaborative learning, but I’ve doubted its superiority over other tools (such as a combination of BlackBoard and a word processing program).

Let me first describe how the KPE works (see the link to the article by Lakkala et al. (2009) for some screenshots). This environment is designed for groups of students to work collaboratively on university projects. Each group of students has its own space in which they can post useful information, links and ideas to which the other group members can react on the forum or in the chat and which they can edit. Students can connect their ideas by adding vectors, text boxes, etc.

I think that such an environment can help students in organizing their thoughts/ideas and storing these as well as the information on which they are based. In KPE, I especially like that students can not only collect data and analyze them verbally, but that they can also make connections between parts of information with vectors etc, so that relationships between different kinds of text are easier to see. However, I have some doubts about the functions that are integrated in these kinds of environments.

     First of all, I don’t think it is a good idea that the forum option is usually shown in a different screen (or ‘tab’). This means that when you’re discussing the workspace, you have to switch to a different window continuously, which increases the cognitive load.
     My most important critique on this environment is that all students within the group can work together in the same workspace simultaneously. This means that when student A is typing something, student B can immediately delete that (while student A is still writing the rest of the sentence). If I were student A, I would find this very frustrating.

This is why I’m not completely convinced of the ‘superiority’ of CSCL tools over others, such as a combination of a BlackBoard environment (for document storage and discussions) and a word processing program (for document generating). To me, this combination is more powerful, because this doesn’t enable students to delete text while someone is still writing on it. Can you convince me?

Links

• Lakkala, M., Paavola, S., Kosonen, K., Muukkonen, H., Bauters, M. & Markkanen, H.  (2009). Main functionalities of the Knowledge Practices Environment (KPE) affording knowledge creation practices in education. A draft. To appear in the Proceedings of the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning 2009 Conference.
• KP-Lab