Applications of a collaborative learning ontology

Abstract

The objective of the research presented in this article is to find representational mechanisms for relating and integrating the collaborative learning elements present in real practical environments, create an integrated ontology that considers and relates these elements, and make use of it to define new collaborative learning scenarios. It is therefore necessary to identify the key ideas underlying the notion of ontology that will be essential in subsequent application development: a list of the basic elements that give rise to a common vocabulary for collaborative learning, and the relationship and dependencies between them. The Activity Theory framework is used as a theoretical foundation for organising the elements in the ontology. This ontology gives rise to the structured elements that form the conceptual structure for the definition and construction of CSCL environments, and the analysis and assessment of group collaboration.