Summary

The aim of the book is to outline major elements related to the sustainability of Networked Collaborative Learning (NCL). The key point is to quantify how much added value university education may yield by adopting collaborative learning strategies, and to understand what implications NCL introduces in terms of design and management. After comparing NCL with other Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) approaches and discussing the possible reasons for adopting it, a multidimensional model for the sustainability of NCL is proposed. The model is characterized by five dimensions: pedagogical approaches, e-teacher professional development, instructional design models, learning design models and evaluation/assessment approaches. Each of these dimensions is examined on the basis of the author's direct experience gained through applying NCL to his university teaching.It delineates a framework for NCL sustainability. It provides an instructional design model for NCL. It describes an original approach to the evaluation of collaborative learning processes.