Abstract

====In New Zealand, teachers are charged with the responsibility of developing the key competencies (Managing Self, Relating to Others, Participating and Contributing, Thinking and Using Language symbols and texts) within each student. The Ministry of Education (2007) clearly states that these competencies continue to develop over time and are //“//shaped by interactions with people, places, ideas, and things” and that students “need to be challenged to develop their competencies in contexts that are increasingly wide-ranging and complex.” The Ministry of Education (2006) believes that e-learning can “contribute to the growth of all of these competencies, and increasingly, these competencies be applied in ICT-rich contexts for all students.”====

====Many contemporary socio-cultural theories of learning emphasize that various social and cultural factors should, especially, be taken into account in explaining learning and developing new pedagogical approaches (Bruner, 1996; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Vygotsky, 1978; as cited in (Lakkala, 2007). Learning is not just a cognitive issue but also a matter of participating in cultural practices (Fard, 1998 as cited in (Lakkala, 2007)) and creating new knowledge and ideas of value to a community ((Paavola & Hakkarainen, 2005; Scardamalia Bereiter, 2003 as cited in (Lakkala, 2007)).” Modern information and communication technology enables new ways of supporting these socio-cultural theories of learning, and so how can e-learning facilitate collaboration and indirectly begin to address the key competencies?====