A System for the Specification and Development of an Environment for Distributed CSCL Scenarios

In this paper the 'Active Document system', grounded in the Activity Theory, is presented. This system serves both as a representational framework for the description of learning activities and a harness for the mechanisms necessary to support the creation and management of the corresponding computer-based scenarios. This system is made up of three components, firstly, a set of authoring tools for the creation and configuration of the different Active Documents required for specifying the learning activities. Secondly, a (distributed) repository of learning objects that consists of a variety of tools and resources for the described activities. Thirdly, an Active Document architecture that manages the Active Documents and generates the user environment necessary in order to carry out the described activities, together with the appropriate resources and tools. This proposal appears to offer a solution to the problems of producing reusable and customizible computer-based learning environments.

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