The Media Culture 2020 project presented a unique research opportunity to explore ‘blended
learning’, which Curtis Bonk and Charles Graham (2006: 5) define as a hybrid learning system
that combines face-to-face instruction with computer mediated activities. Christopher
McMorran (2013) suggests that if used in an educational setting, collaborative technology can
enhance active participation (through content creation), increase student engagement, and
enrich the learning process. The development of online learning environments alongside
established classroom forms must therefore be considered a useful pedagogical approach,
since it can serve to facilitate a more collaborative learning experience (Garrison & Kanuka
2004: 95-105; Berger & Trexler 200). Collaborative technologies were central to much of the
work undertaken throughout this project, thus providing an opportunity to evaluate the
educational merits of some of these tools.