3 December 2024 14h00-14h30
Mariko Matsuzaki, M.Sc (Department of Life Sciences)
Training is essential for building and sustaining military capabilities, with trainers and training centers serving as the foundation of this endeavor. However, high retirement rates among experienced trainers pose challenges to pedagogical inheritance within Defence. Additionally, in Belgium and many other countries, trainers and training centers are geographically and psychologically dispersed across various locations and teams. This dispersion risks isolating valuable pedagogical competencies if they are not effectively shared across formal boundaries. Enhancing collaborative learning networks among trainers is therefore a promising approach to overcoming these challenges and supporting organizational growth.
To address these challenges, computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools have emerged as powerful enablers of collaborative learning and professional development. CMC encompasses a wide range of digitally mediated communication via tools such as email, instant messaging, and online platforms. These tools allow military trainers to create collaborative learning networks beyond formal and geographic boundaries, fostering knowledge exchange and professional growth. However, due to the fragmented nature of CMC research, establishing actionable guidelines to maximize the effectiveness of these tools remains a significant challenge.
This presentation shares findings from a systematic literature review that examines the impact of CMC tools on collaborative learning among educators in various professional settings over the past 30 years. We address the research question: “How can educators make effective use of CMC tools to facilitate their collaborative learning?”. The study identified key characteristics of CMC tools, the types of knowledge exchanged among educators, and the supporting conditions and obstacles for their use. This study aims to offer practical and actionable insights for military stakeholders seeking to optimize CMC tools for trainers’ professional development and foster a culture of collaborative learning that drives organizational growth.