Facilitating virtual learning groups

Today, universities are using technological advances that have enabled them to change their traditional delivery methods. Computer supported collaborative learning permits students to undertake courses via the Internet. This allows students from all over the world to take part in a course where they can gather information not only from the instructor but also from their fellow students. Consequently, the traditional forms of teaching must be adapted to better serve the needs of virtual learning students. The virtual instructor must do more than just communicate information to the students. He or she must learn to support the collaborative process between the learners and to encourage them to work as a team. This article describes a model for facilitating virtual learning groups and presents a case study to illustrate the concepts of running such a group. In addition, a number of implications for planning and supporting virtual groups are presented.