Structuring CSCL through Collaborative Techniques and Scripts

Author(s):  
F. Pozzi ◽  
L. Hofmann ◽  
D. Persico ◽  
K. Stegmann ◽  
F. Fischer

This paper is rooted in the research field of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), where the debate is lively around whether and to what extent structuring the interactions among students enhances the effectiveness of the collaborative process. The paper discusses two different design approaches to structuring collaboration: the former approach, adopted in the context of an Italian online course, is based on the use of a set of collaborative techniques, while in the latter, proposed in a German context, collaboration scripts are used to guide students step-by-step. The study describes and then compares the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches. What can be learned from the two experiences? Is there any possibility – and with what advantages – of integrating the two approaches, so as to gain from both?

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 39-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Pozzi ◽  
L. Hofmann ◽  
D. Persico ◽  
K. Stegmann ◽  
F. Fischer

This paper is rooted in the research field of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), where the debate is lively around whether and to what extent structuring the interactions among students enhances the effectiveness of the collaborative process. The paper discusses two different design approaches to structuring collaboration: the former approach, adopted in the context of an Italian online course, is based on the use of a set of collaborative techniques, while in the latter, proposed in a German context, collaboration scripts are used to guide students step-by-step. The study describes and then compares the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches. What can be learned from the two experiences? Is there any possibility – and with what advantages – of integrating the two approaches, so as to gain from both?


Author(s):  
Yugo Hayashi

AbstractResearch on collaborative learning has revealed that peer-collaboration explanation activities facilitate reflection and metacognition and that establishing common ground and successful coordination are keys to realizing effective knowledge-sharing in collaborative learning tasks. Studies on computer-supported collaborative learning have investigated how awareness tools can facilitate coordination within a group and how the use of external facilitation scripts can elicit elaborated knowledge during collaboration. However, the separate and joint effects of these tools on the nature of the collaborative process and performance have rarely been investigated. This study investigates how two facilitation methods—coordination support via learner gaze-awareness feedback and metacognitive suggestion provision via a pedagogical conversational agent (PCA)—are able to enhance the learning process and learning gains. Eighty participants, organized into dyads, were enrolled in a 2 × 2 between-subject study. The first and second factors were the presence of real-time gaze feedback (no vs. visible gaze) and that of a suggestion-providing PCA (no vs. visible agent), respectively. Two evaluation methods were used: namely, dialog analysis of the collaborative process and evaluation of learning gains. The real-time gaze feedback and PCA suggestions facilitated the coordination process, while gaze was relatively more effective in improving the learning gains. Learners in the Gaze-feedback condition achieved superior learning gains upon receiving PCA suggestions. A successful coordination/high learning performance correlation was noted solely for learners receiving visible gaze feedback and PCA suggestions simultaneously (visible gaze/visible agent). This finding has the potential to yield improved collaborative processes and learning gains through integration of these two methods as well as contributing towards design principles for collaborative-learning support systems more generally.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharrenos Bratitsis ◽  
Stavros Demetriadis

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is concerned with how people learn when working and interacting in groups with the assistance of ICTs. The field involves collaboration, computer mediation, online – distance education which raises interesting theoretical considerations regarding the actual studying of learning within CSCL settings. Being a rather interdisciplinary research field in nature, it has a long history of controversy about its theory, methods, and definition. In this editorial, through a quick review of the literature the diversity of issues examined under the CSCL research field becomes obvious. Moreover, an attempt to categorize these research issues is made. In this vein, the four interesting contributions of this Special Issue, regarding theoretical perspectives and issues of research of the field, are introduced. They comply with the distinguished categories, but they open new research borders as well.


Author(s):  
Bernhard Ertl ◽  
Heinz Mandl

Many distance learning scenarios, for example, virtual seminars, use collaborative arrangements for learning. By applying them, they offer learners the chance to construct knowledge collaboratively. However, learners often do not possess the skills necessary for a beneficial collaboration. It is therefore important that learners are offered support in these learning scenarios. Scripts for collaborative learning can provide support. They can guide learners through their collaboration process (Ertl, Kopp, & Mandl, 2007b) and help them to acquire collaboration skills (Rummel & Spada, 2005). Scripts for collaboration were originally developed in order to support text comprehension. They facilitate two or more learners—who are similar as far as their existing knowledge and learning strategies are concerned— in their efforts to understand contents provided by theory texts. Collaboration scripts split this process into a sequence of smaller steps, assign each learner to a particular role, and offer a number of comprehension strategies, such as questions, feedback, and elaboration. Each one of these learners has a defined role to play, which in turn is associated with certain strategies and varies within the different phases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santi Caballé ◽  
Fatos Xhafa ◽  
Leonard Barolli

Mobile collaborative learning is considered the next step of on-line collaborative learning by incorporating mobility as a key and breakthrough requirement. Indeed, the current wide spread of mobile devices and wireless technologies brings an enormous potential to e-learning, in terms of ubiquity, pervasiveness, personalization, flexibility, and so on. For this reason, Mobile Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning has recently grown from a minor research field to significant research projects covering a fairly variety of formal and specially informal learning settings, from schools and universities to workplaces, museums, cities and rural areas. Much of this research has shown how mobile technology can offer new opportunities for groups of learners to collaborate inside and beyond the traditional instructor-oriented educational paradigm. However, mobile technologies, when specifically applied to collaborative learning activities, are still in its infancy and many challenges arise. In addition, current research in this domain points to highly specialized study cases, uses, and experiences in specific educational settings and thus the issues addressed in the literature are found dispersed and disconnected from each other. To this end, this paper attempts to bridge relevant aspects of mobile technologies in support for collaborative learning and provides a tighter view by means of a multidimensional approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Lazareva

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.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Heimbuch

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.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharrenos Bratitsis ◽  
Stavros Demetriadis

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is a research field which emerged during the past 20 years. The research addressed questions in CSCL including – among others - how groups and individuals learn through peer interaction using specific tools, how small groups interact and develop shared meanings over time, how teachers orchestrate collaborative learning activities in the classroom with the support of technology, how institutions change and create new conditions for teaching and learning, and even how the opportunities for learning change as society adopts new models for education. Following the constructivistic and socio-cultural approaches in learning, numerous CSCL tools have been designed, developed and tested over the years. Although they can be classified in various ways, the distinction between systemic and dialogic types of tools and approaches is adopted in this paper. Following this categorization, four interesting research approaches, each focusing on a different kind of computer mediated tool are presented, designating the diversity of research within the CSCL field.


Author(s):  
Frank Fischer ◽  
Ingo Kollar ◽  
Karsten Stegmann ◽  
Christof Wecker ◽  
Jan Zottmann ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 073563312199647
Author(s):  
Fan Ouyang

Sharing the same philosophy of “relations matter” with computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), social network analysis (SNA) has become a common methodology in the CSCL research. In this research, I use SNA methods from relational ties, network modes, and integrated methods perspectives to understand attributes of relations in CSCL. I design, conduct, and evaluate three SNA analytics on the same dataset from an online course to understand CSCL entities, relations, and processes. This online collaborative discussion in this course stresses students’ knowledge inquiry, construction, and building through peer interactions. Results show that compared to traditional SNA methods, these three SNA approaches can reveal more detailed, richer picture of the collaborative learning processes, particularly, the interactional, multi-modal, and temporal aspects. Moreover, these SNA approaches are generalizable for understanding similar CSCL settings. Based on the results, this research proposes methodological implications to further apply and develop SNA in the CSCL field.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document