Technology applications that enable student collaboration tend to result in improved achievement. In one study, upper-grade elementary students used a software collaboration tool called Computer Supported Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE) that enables students and teachers to create and post text and graphics to ask questions, search for other students' answers, give feedback on student responses and work and then reformulate their initial answers and questions. These students performed better on standardized tests in reading, language and vocabulary and on measures of depth of understanding, multiple perspectives and independent thought than students who did not use the software (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1996).

Case studies conducted at nine school sites (urban, suburban, rural) suggest that technology can support student learning through collaborative inquiry. Technology provides realistic, complex environments by furnishing investigative tools and data resources and by linking classrooms for joint investigations (Means & Olson, 1997).

In studies of classroom integration of technology with the National Geographic Kids Network (Newman, 1994), Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (Sandholz et al., 1997), Lego Logo (Lafer & Markert, 1994), and Sky Travel (McLellan, 1994) student collaboration:

• increased the amount of information available because students shared during class time with other teams as well as with their partners.
• enhanced critical thinking because students had to deal with conflicting information and ideas from multiple software programs and online sources in order to solve their problems present through computer simulations.

In another study of student collaboration, when two students worked together on one computer, the student at the keyboard provided more answers during discussion while the other student asked more questions. The social interaction skills acquired through teamwork were found to be important to mastery of certain intellectual skills (Bracewell & Laferriere, 1996).

In a meta-analyses of 16 controlled studies on Integrated Learning Systems (ILS), Kulik (2003) concluded that “ILS appear to be more effective when students work in pairs on ILS lessons” (p. 25).