CSCL learning approach for students' knowledge construction process in School Based Assessment (SBA) environment: An observation

Literature reports that educational programs tend to favor knowledge conformation rather than knowledge construction; however, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is a powerful pedagogical strategy that encourages students to focus more on their knowledge construction. In this paper, we will discuss on the purpose of this study which is to observe the characteristics as the CSCL learning approach used in the Collaborative Portfolio Assessment (CPA) prototype system tend to assist students' knowledge construction during the process of learning and teaching. The CPA prototype system is an educational learning system which develops to help the teachers and students in managing School Based Assessment (SBA) in selected secondary school in Malaysia. This research was conducted in four weeks and involves 28 form one students who enrolled in History class using this CPA prototype system during their learning process. The result shows that overall mean for the characteristics from the CSCL learning approach used in the CPA prototype system has assisted students' knowledge construction during the process of teaching and learning was high. We hope that the finding of this study can assist the teacher about the advantages of CSCL approach for students' knowledge construction as an improvement in teaching methods for teachers and also to improve students' learning activities especially in SBA environment at schools.