Herramientas que facilitan el aprendizaje colaborativo en entornos virtuales: nuevas oportunidades para el desarrollo de las ecologías digitales de aprendizaje.

This contribution derives from a research project that analyzes a pedagogical and technological proposal for the design of CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) learning processes. This work presents an analysis of the tools in collaborative learning based on the perception of the students participating in the study. It is based on an analysis of the main technological solutions applied in the field of CSCL, distinguishing between the collaborative use of technology and collaborative technology. The research entails an ex post facto non-experimental quantitative study based on the survey method conducted with 106 students of five subjects belonging to the degrees of Primary and Infant Education at Campus La Salle Madrid. Students developed project-based learning with a CSCL-based methodology; analysis are presented according to the age of the students and the years of experience working in virtual environments. Students value that the most useful technologies in CSCL are videoconferencing and instant messaging, such as WhatsApp, compared to other tools such as Wikis, Blogs or Social Networks. Aside from the situation derived from the COVID-19 pandemic, videoconferencing and instant messaging systems do not tend to be integrated into virtual platforms or incorporated into CSCL. However, students positively value their usefulness in collaborative processes. In this sense, higher education institutions should promote extensive reflection on the tools that favor interaction processes and collaborative learning, taking advantage of the great effort that has been made during the pandemic situation, which has largely been sustained by digital ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]