Enhancing Students’ Collaborative Learning Experiences with Laurillard’s Conversational Framework

Abstract

Collaborative learning (CL) is becoming increasingly recognised as a popular pedagogical practice in higher education that promotes socialization and learning among students. However, the use of collaborative learning does risk placing too much responsibility on the learner and reducing face-to-face interaction with the educator. Therefore, there is a need for educators to find a balance in the interaction and engagement with students to help improve their perceived collaborative learning experiences. This paper presents the development of blended learning environment through the use of Laurillard’s Conversational Framework (LCF) to facilitate project-based learning, mediated by multimedia and online tools. Students’ feedbacks gathered indicated that students experienced meaningful learning and improved socialization when communicating and collaborating with each other. The findings showed that the LCF is very useful in helping to design technology-based learning environments with collaborative project-based activities. However, educators do need to know that factors such as students’ lack of collaborative skills, issues on free-riding, student's competency level, and friendship among students are important factors in determining the effectiveness of collaboration among students.