Cooperative learning: new concept

Cooperative learning is a new education concept for me.

It will be discussed on PPEL and Prof. Morten Flate Paulsen [see his page here] has written some interesting articles about it. For example, in his "Cooperative Online Education" article we read that "Cooperative learning focuses on opportunities to encourage both individual flexibility and affinity to a learning community." (page 2) I understand that the online education process should consider individual freedom and cooperation so students may achieve their learning sucess. On the other hand, being a new perspective, tutors and students still need to learn how online communities may be combined with individual freedom. Though cooperative learning is a goal to be achieved by all, I believe that the role of tutors is different from the students.

But I need to see what this means...