Social network & Cooperative Learning

You can read this paper here.

The authors of this articles purpose the theory that social network doesn’t always involve collaboration, dialogue or communication. Since the authors refer transparency as an important aspect of social networking, Dalsgaard and Morten (2009) discuss how social network and transparency may be used in cooperative distance education.

Supported on a socio-cultural perspective, cooperative learning is built on several ways to support flexibility of individual learning, so that learning within the community becomes easier. Dalsgaard and Morten (2009), presenting the theory of cooperative freedom, point out “the following three pillars:
1. voluntary but attractive participation,
2. means promoting individual flexibility, and
3. means promoting affinity to learning community. “

Also supported by social-cultural perspective, theory of cooperative freedom is an active process, students are interactive, being emphasized activities that are problem-orientated. Individual learning, though very flexible, doesn’t allow great interaction within the community. On the other hand, collaborative learning purposes participation in a learning group, but limits individual flexibility. Cooperative learning allows flexibility as well as working in the community, so learning in online environments combine individual freedom and the benefits of a learning communities.