Organisational computer supported collaborative learning: the affect of context

The purpose of this introduction is to provide a brief overview of the articles in this special issue and also a framework for understanding, designing and evaluating strategies for cooperative learning in the workplace and in educational environments. The special edition is divided into two parts-Issue 1: Computer Supported Collaborative Learning in Formal Education, and Issue 2: Computer Supported Team and Organisational Learning in Workplaces. In general, Issue 1 focuses on collaborative learning in primary and secondary schools and in the University setting. Issue 2 is meant to focus on learning in complex and often highly stressful work situations which mostly require intensive communication in groups or teams and in each case allow for learning in the wider organisation. This introduction outlines a set of themes that can be found in the following papers and traces briefly how each paper fits within each discussion. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd, All rights reserved.