Analysing SRL in an online collaborative environment: a case study in teacher education

This paper focuses on the acquisition of abilities of self-regulated learning (SRL) within online collaborative environments. We analyse one of such environments, prepared and used for a teacher training course, and evaluate a priori its SRL potentialities by using an evaluation tool worked out within the TELEPEERS European project. This analysis lead us to understand that with online collaborative environments it is necessary to distinguish which aspects depend on the underlying software platform and which depend on the configuration and learning activities built on top of it. Then we evaluate if trainees working in this environment actually acquired SRL abilities, by performing an a posteriori qualitative analysis of the interactions among the subjects involved in the course. The evidence reported shows that good results were achieved as concerns all aspects of SRL, considering that the software platform mostly contributes to results related to social aspects, while the specific configuration adopted, course design and implementation strongly influence the achievement of positive outcomes in terms of meta-cognitive, emotional and motivational aspects.