4.6 (p.74) The benefits of collaborative learning.

Many students have been told about the benefits of collaborative learning, and there are numerous Web sites that outline the details of these benefits. One article, "Computer-aided Collaboration Builds Writing Skills" by Nancy Ross-Flanigan, published in The University Record, Oct. 28, 1998, argues that, "Students who work together on writing projects become much better and more flexible writers than those who labor alone.  And when they collaborate via computer, their progress is even more dramatic."

One interesting aspect of this article is that it points out that professors need to develop online teaching skills to ensure that their students are collaborating effectively.  Professors may need to "step in" and monitor online exchanges when, for example, "outgoing students may become too forceful—even brutal—in their critiques. And even when students' comments are not excessively harsh, they may miss some important points."