The Internet and growth of computer networks have eliminated geographic barriers, creating an environment where education can be brought to a student no matter where that student may be. The success of distance learning programs and the availability of many Web-supported applications and multimedia resources has increased the effectiveness of computer-supported learning. However, technology continues to grow and keeping up with the latest trends can be difficult. "Advances in Computer-Supported Learning" clarifies the new technologies, applications, and research in computer-supported learning. It helps students, teachers, and researchers gain a larger understanding of this field and the trends that are driving computer-supported learning forward. It shares the knowledge of international researchers in computer-supported learning, presenting the practices and challenges faced by designers. Readers of this book will gain an understanding of the current state of computer-supported learning and where it will be in the future. Recognizing the long-standing traditions of CSCL work in Europe and Japan, the editors sought to broaden and expand the conversation both geographically and topically. The 45 participating authors represent a range of disciplinary backgrounds, including anthropology, communication studies, computer science, education, psychology, and philosophy, and offer international perspectives on the field. For each chapter, the goal was not only to show how it connects to past and future work in CSCL, but also how it contributes to the interests of other research communities. Toward this end, the volume features a "conversational structure" consisting of target chapters, invited commentaries, and author responses. The commentaries on each chapter were solicited from a diverse collection of writers, including prominent scholars in anthropology of education, social studies of science, CSCW, argumentation, activity theory, language and social interaction, ecological psychology, and other areas.