THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS' COLLABORATION IN THE E-LEARNING IMPLEMENTATION Ridwan Sanjaya1 and Henny Putri Saking Wijaya2 Abstract: E-Learning. as in the use of tec/molog)' for teaching alld learning purposes. has bem promoted in Indonesia to be an alternative of learning process. Although it was late ifit;s compared with other Asian countries. it is a step forwardfor a leaming process in Indonesia. However. many of the E-Learning practices involve the uploading of digitized content materials to a learning managemelll system. In the preselll. the activity of student is downloading the . content materialsfrom his/her lecturer only. It makes the E-Leaming website have no competitive advantage compared with the commoll website. The E-Learning website should be a medittmfor the stttdents 10 interact. discuss. and collaborate ill their project work. A collaborative leaming can increase better quality of learning because there is a unity of thinking and learning skills. There are several kinds of software which provide the Leaming Managemelll Systems (LMS) but not all of them can give media for collaboration. A ttttor is one of the LMS that can give a media for the studellls to create a draft tlsing its virtual room. Each studelll can give inputs or revise the draft to improve the quality. Then. the final report can be shared to other students using the virtuallibrar), after the draft is finished. Key words: E-Leaming. E-Collaborative. collaboration. learning. internet. RidwanS8I\iaya,SE,S.Kom, MS.IEC is a lecturer at the Faculty of Computer Science Soegijapranata Catholic University, Semarang whose interest is in the internet technology. Henny Putri Saking Wijaya, S.S, MA-ELT is a lecturer at the Faculty of Letters, Petra Christian University. Surabaya. 12 Celt. Volume7.Number 1.July2007: 1-13 CONCLUSION Building a web-based learning includes not only the activities of uploading and downloading materials, but also the active participation of the users. Therefore, the media for students to communicate and participate are needed. These media can be in the form ofWiki, Forum, B log, and Chat. By using Wiki, every student can have the same opportunity to participate in sharing various knowledge that he or she masters. The ability of Wiki to record inputs, adapt or even revise can guarantee the accuracy 0 information given. This media can increase students' trust to share their experiences and knowledge they have. Forum media can be used by E-Learning users to do online discussions which are recorded in the database. Meanwhile blog enables students to criticize, give suggestions and opinions on the information or experiences written by the teachers in the blog. As a result, the teachers and students' abilities in analyzing will improve. Chat media enables teachers and students to communicate although they do not meet physically. In order to improve the learning quality by adding the element of teamwork in the web-based learning, a room for students to gather is needed. This room is used to make draft of report. In this room students can revise"or add information. ATutor has the facility for this need. In ACollab, students can share documents and make draft in a group until at the end the file is saved in a group library that can be accessed together as the final report. This collaboration should be supported by mediator who is able to stimulate his or her members to make draft actively. E-Ieaming supported by the facilities to collaborate will improve the learning quality although physical face-to- face communication does not happen. BIBLIOGRAPHY Computing Services. "CMS Glossary". 2004. In http://www.bath.ac. uklintemaUwebl cms-wp/glossary.html, retrieved 30 July 2007. Chew, Lim Kin. "e-Collaborative Projects for Better Learning". In Special Issue of the International Journal of the Computer, the IlIIernel and Management. Bangkok: Assumption University of Thailand, Vol. 14, No. SP I, August 2006: 9.1-9.5. Sanjaya, Ridwan. "E-Learning Bukan Scmata Upload dan Download". 15 October 2006. In http://ridwansanjaya.blogspot.coml2oo6l1 O/cleaming-bukan-semata- upload-dan.html, retrieved 20 July 2007. R. Sanjaya and H.P'S. Wijaya, Students' Collaboration in E-Learning 13 TechTarget. "eLearning Software". In euaming Software - While Papers, Webcasts and IT Downloads. 2007. In hllp:llwww.bitpipe.com/tlistl eLearning- Software.html, retrieved 1 May 2007. Wahono, Romi Satrio. "Pengantar E-Leaming dan Pengembangannya". In IImu Kompuler. 200S. In http://www.ilmukomputer.orglwp-contentluploadsl2006/ 08/romi-eleaming I.zip. retrieved 20 June 2007. Wikipedia. "Collaborative Learning". 2007a. In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Collabomtive_leaming, retrieved IS May 2007 Wikipedia. "Electronic Learning". 2OO7b. In http://en.wikipedia.orglwikilE-leaming, retrieved ISMay 2007. logo: