Cooperative Learning using SNS in Higher Education―What are the Factors to Activate Interaction among Students in SNS?

Abstract

In 2008 and 2009, we practiced Cooperative Learning (CL) twice between learners of Japanese as a second language in Hong Kong and trainees to be a Japanese teacher in Kyoto by using SNS. The questionnaire after CL showed that 2008-CL was not fully activated in terms of ‘social presence’ and ‘social support’. In 2009-CL, we improved the following points to get the students to feel social presence and social support; 1) corrections should be directly written in SNS, not in attached files, so that they are visible, 2) some of the functions of SNS are refined, 3) CL is performed in a group, not in pair, 4) corrections are given not only to a part of the learners’ essays, but also to all parts, 5) instructors take the role of facilitators. Due to these improvements, 2009-CL became more activated than 2008-CL.