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like personalized learning, collaboration, interac-
tion, and evaluation.
The approach of participative learning of-
fers the possibility of developing novel learning
environments that support collaboration, rapid
interaction and feedback, real time communica-
tion, information seeking, and problem solving.
The learner has the opportunity to construct
knowledge through a process of discussion and
interaction with both other learners and teachers
(Michailidou & Economides, 2003).
Diversity in computer supported collaborative
learning environments (CSCLEs) is a complex
concept. It is one thing to create diversity by
recruiting learners—of different nationality,
cultural background, race, gender, sexual orien-
tation, religion, discipline, and another thing to
develop a supportive educational environment
in which individuals of diverse backgrounds can
perform at their highest levels and contribute fully
to the learning procedure (Chen, Czerwinski, &
Macredie, 2000). Even more challenging is the
task of fully integrating the varied knowledge
experiences, perspectives, and values that learners
of diverse backgrounds bring into the educational
environment.
This chapter begins with a discussion concern-
ing the issue of collaboration in virtual teams.
Afterwards, diversity in collaborative virtual
teams is being studied, along with its impact in
learner-learner interactions. Some suggestions to
the instructors for facilitating effective learning
in a collaborative computer-supported environ-
ment are also included. Finally, the conclusions
are presented along with future trends.
while using technology (Lipnack & Stamps,
2000). Virtual teams are utilized in multiple set-
tings, including education (teams formed among
students of distance learning classes), professional
development, as well as corporate and community
organizations.
The use of virtual teams is growing in popu-
larity, especially in work-related and educational
organizations. There are many advantages for
using virtual teams in an educational setting.
These include the creation of learning communi-
ties and the opportunity to work collaboratively
to generate new knowledge. Working in virtual
teams presents unexplored opportunities for peer
interaction as teams create new knowledge to
resolve the problem assigned. Additionally, it
asserts that the best conditions for intellectual
accomplishment are environments that are mo-
tivated by discovery, the reciprocal feedback
between mutually-respected individuals, and
the free exchange of ideas. Conclusively, virtual
teams have become a vehicle for distance educa-
tion, through which group work is accomplished
in demanding learning environments (Anderson
& Garrison, 1998).
The current chapter analyzes the gender
and diversity impact in collaborative computer-
mediated environments formed basically for
educational purposes. Therefore, if the instructors
study the diversity issue in a potential learning
virtual team, then some solutions might occur,
concerning the embodiment of diversity param-
eters and their impact in the success factors of a
collaborative task.
Diversity intensively influences the perfor-
mance of a virtual team in an educational setting.
Many significant factors constitute diversity like
those related to differences in social and cultural
characteristics, gender, ethics, knowledge, educa-
tional experiences, and future expectations. For
most virtual teams to be effective, some degree
of diversity is both desirable and necessary. If
all the team members have the same perspec-
tives, histories, work experience, and academic
CollAborAtion in virtuAl
teAms
A virtual team is a group of people who work
interdependently across space, time, cultures,
and organizational boundaries on temporary,
nonoccurring projects with a shared purpose,
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