Αξιοποίηση της εφαρμογής Viber σε εξ αποστάσεως συνεργατικά Project. Μελέτη Περίπτωσης των φοιτητών/τριών του ΕΑΠ

Abstract

Although collaborative learning environments have been extensively studied by the scientific community, student collaboration in distance education remains a challenge. This paper aims to highlight the dynamic use of networking applications, such as Viber, which based on Connectivism, the Social Activity Theory, and the Project-Based Learning method introduce new, dynamic, and informal modes of collaboration.

To this end, the article presents a case study that explored the use of Viber as a tool for enhancing communication and collaboration. This qualitative research was conducted with postgraduate students from the program "Education and Technologies in Distance Teaching and Learning Systems – Educational Sciences." The study aimed to understand how a group of students from the Hellenic Open University communicate and collaborate through Viber in order to socially connect for their distance-based collaborative research projects.

Through content analysis, the study recorded the ways in which Viber supports networking for the organization of collaborative projects. The study highlights both the formation of a virtual social network and the opportunities and challenges of remote collaboration. Viber functioned as a mediating tool, enhancing interaction, mutual support, and problem-solving in authentic learning environments.