CSCLearning? Participation, learning activities and knowledge construction in computer-supported collaborative learning in higher education

Recent developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offer many opportunities to reorganise education according to constructivist principles. In contrast to more traditional education, education organised by constructivist principles is not teacher-centred, but student-centred. Students can influence their education and are not only consumers as in traditional education. Students work in collaboration to solve tasks and importance is attached to their own ideas; reproducing facts is becoming less important. Students are expected to be active and independent. They have to search for information by themselves and are expected to process this information critically. The accent is not on testing reproduction of facts but much importance is attached to creating own ideas and theories.