A web-based system to provide scaffolding support for self-directed collaborative learning

Learning how to learn has been identified to be one of the key capabilities for effective functioning in the twenty-first century and promoting the development of such capabilities has been identified to be a main goal in many national strategic plans on IT in education. Much of the work on promoting self-directed learning have focussed on students working in collaborative teams as group processes have been found to enhance knowledge construction and to promote the development of many of the metacognitive abilities involved in self-directed learning. In recent years. there has been a growing interest in the development of computer-based environments to support collaborative knowledge building. This paper describes a web-based system that has been designed to provide scaffolding support for a "Self-directed Learning with Information Technology Scheme" (SLITS) project aimed at developing a made of learning where groups of students work collaboratively on self-selected study topics, supported by facilitators as well as expert advisors. The web-based SLITS environment supports knowledge construction at three levels: individual, group and project community levels by providing structured workspaces for individuals and groups. The workspaces are designed to provide different support structures for the learners according to the specific stage of the self-directed learning process, thus acting as a kind of non-obtrusive coach that hopefully guides the students through the various metacognitive processes integral to successful self-directed learning.