ABSTRACT
In the present chapter, the author discusses two broader configurations for the organisation of collaborative interactions. They both entail a reconsideration of what defines a shared problem-solving environment. In particular, the author discusses circumstances in which collaborations may be dislocated in time – the participants do not need to be co-present. He discusses circumstances in which the participants have less comprehensively overlapping concerns – where the problems that they are each addressing are more loosely coupled. These represent, respectively, central features of interacting 'through' computers and interacting 'around' them. Of all the educational arrangements whereby new technology might support collaborative activity, this is the one that has attracted least research or commentary. The author identifies the questions that need to be addressed and argues that they are interesting and worth research investment.
