Using Theory-Based Approaches to Architect Online Collaborative Problem-based Learning: Lessons Learned from Monterrey Tech–Virtual University

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on implementing learner-centered practices within various educational environments. These practices focus on supporting learners in constructing their own understandings through complex learning experiences that emphasize interpersonal reasoning and social interaction (see American Psychological Association, 1997, for a complete discussion of learner-centered principles). Reflective of and consistent with a constructivist perspective of learning as a process of sense making (Duffy & Cunningham, 1996), the learner-centered approach often places learners in the role of collaborators and problem solvers. Thus, one goal for using collaborative and problem-based approaches is to support learners in the process of communicating with and challenging each other for the purpose of improving knowledge construction and understanding (Zech, Gause-Vega, Bray, & Goldman, 2000).