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Reviewer: John E. Martin

This book is a collection of ten different researchers' studies on the use of information technologies to support learning. Although linked by a common theme, the studies cover a broad spectrum of research topics, including gender differences in response to collaborations with classroom computers; social facilitation and social comparison; an exploration of the productive potential of conflict; individual differences in responses as preconditioned by previous experiences; a “social constructivist” analysis of children working collaboratively on a task; a study that determines how patterns of student interaction change over time; an examination of computer-based interaction that encompasses higher and vocational education; an investigation of the computer as a cultural tool capable of mediating social relationships; and a study that concentrates on the decoupling of computer activity from the broader context of the classroom. The editors have chosen studies and research that draw on a wide range of theoretical frameworks, encompassing cognitive-developmental psychology, social psychology, and contemporary situated learning approaches. Throughout, the focus is on the role of the computer in supporting and mediating learning. This book should be of great interest to students and researchers in psychology, as well as educators and developers involved in the rapidly developing field of learning technology. All the contributions are written in a scholarly manner. The references are extensive.