The concept of peer cognisance : exploring participants' experiences of collaboration in a networked learning project.

This thesis explores the concept of 'peer cognisance' - a mutual sense of awareness,
cognition and responsibility among learners - in the context of online and face-toface
collaboration. The study builds on a constructivist, learner-centred approach,
and argues the need for reflective practice in education. The literature reviewed for
the thesis builds on these concepts, linking reflexivity, motivation, learner autonomy
and facilitation to successful collaboration. The research outlines two studies. A
preliminary study involved sixteen students in higher education institutions in
Germany and the U.S., which had to be curtailed due to lack of participation. The
main motivating factor for participants was the mutual sense of responsibility for
and awareness of other group members' needs, leading to the second, main study of
the thesis, which sought to actively facilitate this awareness, or 'peer cognisance'.
The main study grouped 13-year old pupils and paired them with university
language students during their year abroad, encouraging the younger learners to take
control of their learning environment as much as possible. Collaboration took place
online via WebCT, and, for the pupils, face-to-face in the classroom. Facilitation
occurred both online and face-to-face during visits to the school. The study adopts a
qualitative approach to data analysis, using narrative accounts from students, pupils
and facilitator to explore motivations behind collaboration. The analysis conftrmed
the initial fmdings from the fIrst study, and led to recommendations for the
successful facilitation of collaboration through the concept of peer cognisance.