An innovative model to foster web-based collaborative learning

Learning to learn is the theme of the current educational reform in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Learners should be well equipped with collaborative skills, communication skills, creativity, critical thinking skills, and skills in using information technology to be responsive to the changing requirements of the workplace and the society. We have drawn the elements of collaborative learning from research findings and come up with a new model to be implemented for our learners in the coming semester using the Web as an avenue for on-line discussions and peer assessments. The group projects, biweekly reflective journals, peer assessments should be able to cultivate learners’ positive attitude towards sharing. The evidence will be gathered through quantitative and qualitative means to examine if there is any relationship between collaborative learning and peer assessment with the final assessment grades received. Copyright © 2002 Informing Science.