Indicators to develop collaborative practices in online learning

The aim of this paper is to analyse the pedagogical affordances required in designing and supporting collaborative tasks in virtual environments. We conducted a case study at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) in order to study the design made by experts in collaborative practices. We analyzed two experiments carried out by two expert teachers in the use of online collaborative methodologies. The methodology has combined different approaches of analysis from a qualitative perspective. It has been contrasted the teachers' and students' perception, the interactions and products generated in the course. As a result of this research, we have characterized the types of tasks that promote collaborative knowledge building. The results confirm previous research that suggests that for a collaborative learning must confront students with complex tasks. Students must perceive that the effort involved in collaborative work has benefits for the development of learning activities. For its part, the teacher must plan the distribution of control and responsibility of the participants and promote the development of joint products. In the article, is contrasted the design elaborated by teachers and perception of students. Finally, we provide a number of indicators to support the design task and collaborative knowledge construction in online learning.