Beehive: a software application for synchronous collaborative learning

The purpose of this paper is to describe Beehive, a new web application framework for designing and supporting synchronous collaborative learning.

Our web engineering approach integrates educational design expertise into a technology for building tools for collaborative learning activities. Beehive simplifies the development of the collaboration tools required to implement proven educational design strategies. The methodology consists of a framework model that has three abstraction layers: pedagogical techniques, patterns, and computer supported collaborative learning components.

Building eLearning systems that are informed by the educational research in design patterns, can lead to a better, richer and more flexible, infrastructure. Beehive's design enables teachers to design and use synchronous collaborative learning activities, either by using well tested research‐based learning designs or by creating their own.

The system will need to be used by a large number of teachers and learners before evaluation and usability tests are possible.

The paper presents an integrated solution application that enables teachers and students to design and carry out synchronous collaborative learning activities in a very simple manner.