Instant messaging and shared construction of meaning: An experience of collaborative learning in the Practicum of Primary Education Teacher

Abstract

Recent years research on the relationship between ICT and collaborative learning is under extensive development, however it does not focus on the use of instant messaging as a tool to promote this shared construction of learning from descriptive, relational and interpretive approach. This paper is focused on the partial results of a research about the evaluation of instant messaging. The latter is used as a resource to foster collaborative learning by improving the involvement of students, professors and Practicum II supervisors. The building of shared meanings as social interaction mechanisms for collaborative learning that were carried out Online chat seminars is analysed by means of qualitative methodology. The results shown that these mechanisms are shown by long debates generated from the discussions and disagreements about the different themes arisen, by the manifestation of solidarity to contribute to find out solutions to suggested problems as well as by the raising of issues of concern.