Notes: Socio-Constructivism

Socio-Constructivism advocates the mastery of new approaches to learning by interaction with others (Doise 1984). An individual’s interaction within a given social environment enables the production (development) of a new personal state. This new state makes it possible to return to or move into another social environment and allows for more sophisticated interactions to take place (Dillenbourg et al 1994). In essence collaborating may unlock and produce a series of criteria (culminating in a new state) within the individual. It focuses on the personal development of the individual as a result of social interactions. Crucial to any successful online experience is the establishment of a community and sense of personal ownership this is often achieved through peer inductions / icebreakers and social forums. Such social orientated tasks are used as the foundation for future collaborative endeavours, often a sense of community, trust and mutual cooperation is achieved outside of the day to day curriculum work and only becomes apparent when a group is presented with a collaborative task relating to the core discipline (Billet 1996).