Collaborative Learning - Information Communication Technologies for Human Services Education and Delivery - page 50

responding to the views of other students, their
views changed significantly. These changed views
were more sophisticated and noted exceptions and
qualifications to the statement. The benefits of the
online learning examining controversial issues
came through student feedback (Cooper 2001).

with people within and across organizational
boundaries. Teamwork in virtual communities
using online tools is a valued skill. The Internet
is ubiquitous and competencies and discernment
in using it effectively are essential.
Collaborative learning online has, to date, been
largely enabled by the communication tools that
are encompassed in enterprise learning manage-
ment systems (LMS). Educational institutions
invest significantly in these online course systems
and individual teachers have been restricted in
their choice of online communication tool to
those that are offered within the LMS. Over the
last fifteen years, LMS technology has provided
a platform for significant innovation in teaching
online, especially in the use of the discussion
forum. But being sizeable and tightly integrated
“whole of organization” systems, LMS lack the
agility to quickly integrate the new and innovative
tools of the Internet.
The increasing uptake, availability and
prominence of Web 2.0 technologies is now of-
fering collaborative learning new tools with great
promise. There is a new agility, open access and
choice in the lightweight suite of tools of Web
2.0. Many Web 2.0 technologies are freeware
and are easy to establish and use. With increas-
ing frequency, a collaborative learning exercise
takes place outside the enterprise systems of the
educational institution and utilizes the Web 2.0
tools of the open web.
We have trialed the use of wikis for knowledge
building and sharing class activities with Masters'
students studying in fully online mode. Students
were required to collectively build a repository
of knowledge in a specific knowledge domain by
co-authoring the web pages of a wiki. All students
had full access to shape the content and structure
of the web space - they were required for assess-
ment purposes to write a reflective article on their
experience of this social media and to identify any
problems or prejudices that this activity presented
to them. Social tagging activities have also been

tHe future

The impact of the Internet on our working lives
is significant and we must develop competencies
in the use of the online environment for commu-
nication, knowledge sharing and teamwork. The
21 st century also brings the challenge of continual
learning and workplace change. Providing tertiary
human services students the experience of learning
collaboratively using communication technologies
is preparing them for a lifetime in a workplace
where ability to learn, adaptation to change and
effective participation in global communication
technologies are a critical set of skills.
An ability to learn throughout life is now
of greater benefit than any body of domain
knowledge that we may possess at any one time.
Changes in careers and the nature of work are
now commonplace throughout a person's life. It
is increasingly likely that people will work longer
and in a variety of guises than at any time in the
past. Some of the most desirable skills in the
workplace are interpersonal. The ability to com-
municate and maintain productive relationships
with colleagues and to work in teams and across
communities is central to an effective learning
organization. Imbuing students with the ability
to learn in collaborative situations is central to
lifelong learning.
We work and live in a society that increasingly
demands an ability to learn, communicate and
relate to others in an online environment. This
requires an ability to find and synthesize digital
information, integrate it into decision making
processes and to effectively connect and work