The 21st century has brought about changes in every aspect of life
through ubiquitous technology and Internet-based social media. The
distances between cultures and continents have narrowed, the world has
become flat, and multicultural work-teams composed of members from
different countries have become a daily reality in global businesses.
However, in many ways these global changes in work practices have only
just begun to have an impact on education.
To better prepare students for the information age, researchers and
policy makers largely agree about the skills needed for shared knowledge
construction. Indeed, the education systems in several different
countries have begun to integrate these skills into teaching and
learning and are placing a strong emphasis on their implementation
(Melamed et al, 2010; Resta et al, 2011). In 2015 the OECD PISA exam for
the first time, included assessment of collaborative problem-solving in
its country-by-country comparison.
Collaborative learning is not a trivial challenge nor is it intuitive
for all teachers and learners. One must acquire and practice the
essential skills in order to successfully work in a team. Consequently
it is essential to train teachers in collaborative teamwork, as they
must serve as role models for students. In addition, new tools and
practices become available at a rate that outpaces the abilities of many
higher education institutions to adopt and implement. This book surveys
the current state of the field and provides theoretical guidance and
practical examples to help meet the gaps in research, development and
practice.
