Student motivation is enhanced in projects that require online collaboration. Student motivation is enhanced through online collaborative research that includes online communication with peers and experts in other states and countries, evaluation of evidence and sharing of information, and the use of standards based curricula that are integrated with scientific visualization tools. Project GLOBE has engaged K-12 students from schools in 34 countries in gathering data about their local environments. Students in the GLOBE classrooms demonstrate higher knowledge and skill levels on assessments of environmental science methods and interpretation of data than do their peers who have not participated in the program (Means et al., 1997).Cooperative learning with computers is effective for students with intellectual disabilities. Cooperative learning is based on the concept of interdependence -- students' learning from and depending on one another in a positive way. In one project, for example, a group of students with intellectual disabilities taught university students how to use computer software (word processing and LOGO turtle graphics). The university students developed some new materials using the software, and asked their former teachers to help them test the programs (Ryba & Anderson, 1990).

Cooperative learning environments aid in many aspects of problem solving. (Johnson & Johnson, 1996), as cited by (Bracewell et al., 1998), examined the use of computer technology in support of cooperative learning environments. Relative to traditional individualistic learning approaches, the use of computer technology to facilitate cooperative learning environments resulted in "(a) higher quantity of daily achievement, (b) higher quality of daily achievement, (c) greater mastery of factual information, (d) greater ability to apply one's factual knowledge in test questions requiring application of facts, (e) greater ability to use factual information to answer problem-solving questions, and (f) greater success in problem-solving."