Four models and frameworks of computer supported collaborative learning

The field of CSCL holds a wide variety of models and frameworks, each originating from different theoretical backgrounds and with its own focus. This complexity makes the field challenging to understand, especially for researchers new to the field, and sparked discussions about the necessity, feasibility but also the desirability for one unified framework. To facilitate researchers in the field of CSCL as well as probe the viability of one single overarching CSCL framework, we selected four distinct CSCL models and frameworks to explore and describe: the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model, the Knowledge Building Framework, the Sociability, social Interaction, social Presence, and social Space (SIPS) model and the model of Collaborative Knowledge Building. Our exploration provided an insightful overview for new researchers as well as the realization that each model should exist in its own right because it’s the various theoretical perspectives that might help us deal with complex educational problems.