The concept of collaborative work is gaining rapid acceptance in almost all
disciplines of numerous organizations in the world like financial institutions,
educational institutions, and business organizations (Ancona, 1990;
Bettenhausen , 1991; Gallucci, 1985). Switzer and Shriner (2000) were of the
view that students are the most obvious party who benefit from collaborative
group work among students, faculty members, and the community. According to
them there are four overlapping types of benefits for students. These are: 1)
immediate educational benefits, 2) immediate social benefits, 3) critical thinking
benefits, and 4) long-term career benefits.
Research suggests that Face to Face (FTF) interaction in collaborative learning
does not solve the communication problems in Arabic culture due to religious and
cultural factors. It is necessary to think of an alternative that would respect the
general scope of collaborative work (in terms of its multisided but interactive
effect) but favour women's involvement in sharing and communicating
information with their male fellows. This can be fulfilled through the use of
Computer mediated communication(CMC).