ABSTRACT

A situated approach is employed to in order to study distributed collaborative learning. We present a case study of how one group of students collaborate through a groupware system called TeamWave Workplace. In addtion, we provide an illustration of a case involving a particularly interesting form of use concerning this topic. The main aim of the article is to gain insights into some of the problems students' encounter in distributed communication, especially in regard to how participants establish a shared context for their activities. A particularly important issue in this regard is related to how the system is used in order to manage intersubjectivity. The system offer both opportunities and obstructions as regards communication, depending on how the participants use it for what purposes.