The effects of a group awareness tool on knowledge construction in computer‐supported collaborative learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanyan Li ◽  
Xiaoran Li ◽  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Xin Li
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Knowledge Construction ◽  
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽  
Group Awareness ◽  
Awareness Tool

scholarly journals Promoting regulation of equal participation in online collaboration by combining a group awareness tool and adaptive prompts. But does it even matter?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Strauß ◽  
Nikol Rummel
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Online Collaboration ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Group Awareness ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Equal Distribution ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Awareness Tool ◽  
University Level ◽  
Additional Support

AbstractUnequal participation poses a challenge to collaborative learning because it reduces opportunities for fruitful collaboration among learners and affects learners’ satisfaction. Social group awareness tools can display information on the distribution of participation and thus encourage groups to regulate the distribution of participation. However, some groups might require additional explicit support to leverage the information from such a tool. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of combining a group awareness tool and adaptive collaboration prompts on the distribution of participation during web-based collaboration. In this field experiment, students in a university level online course collaborated twice for two-weeks (16 groups in the first task; 13 groups in the second task) and either received only a group awareness tool, a combination of a group awareness tool and adaptive collaboration prompts, or no additional support. Our results showed that students were more satisfied when the participation in their group was more evenly distributed. However, we only found tentative support that the collaboration support helped groups achieve equal participation. Students reported rarely using the support for shared regulation of participation. Sequence alignment and clustering of action sequences revealed that groups who initiated the collaboration early, coordinated before solving the problem and interacted continuously tended to achieve an equal distribution of participation and were more satisfied with the collaboration. Against the background of our results, we identify potential ways to improve group awareness tools for supporting groups in their regulation of participation, and discuss the premise of equal participation during collaborative learning.

Role Scripting as a Tool to Foster Transactivity of Asynchronous Student Discussions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Lazareva
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Knowledge Construction ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽  
Student Interactions ◽  
Collaboration Scripts ◽  
Positive Effects

Transactivity of student discussions is crucial in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). However, CSCL learners often lack well-developed argumentation and negotiation skills, which makes it challenging for them to engage in and maintain a transactive discussion. Collaboration scripts have been implemented in CSCL contexts and have demonstrated positive effects on students' collaboration and argumentation skills. Yet, the degree of transactivity of student interactions is rarely addressed directly in CSCL research. Employing a qualitative content analysis approach, this study seeks to understand how a role script affects the transactivity of students' argumentative knowledge co-construction in the context of a multicultural master's degree CSCL course. The study employs an experimental design. The results demonstrate that students in the scripted condition produced more contributions on higher levels of argumentative knowledge construction than unscripted students. However, tutor involvement may be necessary to ensure proper script appropriation.

scholarly journals Group Awareness in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajar Ghadirian ◽  
Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Ayub ◽  
Abu Daud Silong ◽  
Kamariah Binti Abu Bakar ◽  
Maryam Hosseinzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Collaboration ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽  
Group Awareness ◽  
Awareness Information ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Areas Of Interest ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

<p class="apa">It is commonly discussed that a key challenge for online collaboration is to promote group awareness. Although this challenge has gained intensified consideration by scholars, scarce attempt has been devoted into development of a reasonable hypothetical comprehension of what group awareness really is and how it can be studied empirically. This paper discusses the conceptions and the research approaches that underlie research on group awareness in computer-supported collaborative learning circumstances. While reviewing literatures they were classified in three categories (behavioral, knowledge and social awareness) and variations in underlying techniques for visualization of awareness were also provided. It was found that research is dominated by the knowledge awareness, which focus on awareness of self and group members’ level of expertise, skills, prior knowledge of task as well as areas of interest. However, some researchers studied all dimensions of awareness. Findings suggest that the notion of displaying of awareness information has been shifted from implicit to the explicit technique through which users intentionally express their current understanding and feelings or assess self and others and provide necessary information to be visualized. The paper suggests some areas for future empirical investigations and concludes with some theoretical considerations on the nature of group awareness.</p>

scholarly journals Supportive guidance methods for wiki-based learning and knowledge construction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Heimbuch
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Knowledge Construction ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽  
Collaboration Scripts ◽  
Cognitive Closure ◽  
Need For Cognitive Closure ◽  
Learning Success ◽  
Collaboration Script

Wikis are a special representative of socio-technical systems that are increasingly used for the collaborative construction of knowledge and furthermore for individual and collaborative learning. The basic design of wiki systems enables users to generate content as articles and as well to discuss about subject matters on corresponding discussion forums in the article background, the so-called talk pages. Building upon prevailing theories and previous research on knowledge building with wikis, and more broadly computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) in general, this dissertation investigated several effects of added supplemental scaffolding measures for wiki-based learning on processes and outcomes. Specifically, this work focused on (1) the effectiveness and efficiency implicit guidance approaches for wiki talk pages, (2) the effects of two distinct collaboration scripts as explicit guidance for knowledge construction with wikis, and (3) the relevance of specific learning-related individual differences for collaborative learning with wikis. Overall, five empirical studies have been conducted as part of this dissertation. Study 1 examined the effects of added controversy awareness highlights for wiki discussions. Results of the experiment showed that added highlights for controversial discussions directly affect individual selection and reading behaviour, as well as indirectly and to a lesser extent the learning outcomes and wiki contribution quality. Study 2 examined whether visualisations of author expertise and community-rating implicitly affect the user perception of controversial discussions in wikis. Results showed that if additional author information is visualised, it is much more likely that readers of wiki discussions follow an assumed expert’s argumentation. Studies 3 and 4 both examined effects of two distinct collaboration script approaches. The first script was derived from Wikipedia, whereas the second script is a self-developed script that was inspired by related empirical research. Results showed that the alternative script proposal is more beneficial for perspective-taking and integration of opposing evidence, as well as for individual learning success and the quality of collaboratively edited articles. Study 5 examined the effects of the controversy awareness highlights and the alternative collaboration script in interaction with individual differences of the Need for Cognitive Closure. This construct is relevant for the understanding of how people process ambiguous information that are likely to be found in controversial discussions. Results showed that persons with a high Need for Cognitive Closure benefit more, in terms of learning success, from the controversy awareness highlights for implicit guidance, whereas persons with a low Need for Cognitive Closure benefit more from the collaboration script as explicit guidance. This study series extends the empirical base of research on wiki-based knowledge construction and learning processes with investigations of supplemental different guidance measures and the consideration of individual differences.

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