Analyzing collaborative learning processes automatically

In this article we describe the emerging area of text classification research focused on the problem of collaborative learning process analysis both from a broad perspective and more specifically in terms of a publicly available tool set called TagHelper tools. Analyzing the variety of pedagogically valuable facets of learners’ interactions is a time consuming and effortful process. Improving automated analyses of such highly valued processes of collaborative learning by adapting and applying recent text classification technologies would make it a less arduous task to obtain insights from corpus data. This endeavor also holds the potential for enabling substantially improved on-line instruction both by providing teachers and facilitators with reports about the groups they are moderating and by triggering context sensitive collaborative learning support on an as-needed basis. In this article, we report on an interdisciplinary research project, which has been investigating the effectiveness of applying text classification technology to a large CSCL corpus that has been analyzed by human coders using a theory-based multidimensional coding scheme. We report promising results and include an in-depth discussion of important issues such as reliability, validity, and efficiency that should be considered when deciding on the appropriateness of adopting a new technology such as TagHelper tools. One major technical contribution of this work is a demonstration that an important piece of the work towards making text classification technology effective for this purpose is designing and building linguistic pattern detectors, otherwise known as features, that can be extracted reliably from texts and that have high predictive power for the categories of discourse actions that the CSCL community is interested in

Determining Core Components of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Within Educational Managerial Game Context

The exploratory factor analysis has been used to determine which selected inner components of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) should be considered as the core components. The research itself builds on three models of group learning, namely cooperative learning elements, the “Big Five” in the teamwork model and the theoretical framework of CSCL. The analysis of data collected from university students participating in a managerial group game suggests that future research in the field of CSCL should consider social identity, helping behavior, shared mental models, mutual performance monitoring and team orientation as the most important components of group learning activities.Studie využívá explorační faktorovou analýzu ke stanovení toho, které z vybraných vnitřních komponent počítačem podporovaného kolaborativního učení (CSCL) by měly být chápány jako komponenty základní. Výzkum samotný staví na třech modelech skupinového učení, kterými jsou elementy kooperativního učení, model „Big Five“ v týmové práci a teoretický rámec CSCL. Analýza dat z dotazníku vyplněného studenty, kteří absolvovali manažerskou skupinovou hru, ukazuje, že budoucí výzkum v oblasti CSCL by měl brát v úvahu sociální identitu, pomáhající chování, sdílené mentální modely, vzájemné monitorování výkonnosti a týmovou orientaci jako ty nejvýznamnější komponenty aktivit skupinového učení

Constructive interaction in scripted computer-supported collaborative learning

Abstract. This study explores the constructive interaction of higher education students during the Facebook groups’ discussion. The specific aims are investigating what forms of interaction were generated and how these interactions vary in three differently supported scripts. The participants of this study were ten small groups of higher education students (N=88) from three different Universities; collaborative learning for these groups was supported with a particular design micro- script for promoting both participation towards task-related and socio-emotional interaction over a six-week CSCL course. The results show that constructive interaction was rarely found. The majority of groups manifested more in the task-related than the socio-emotional categories. In terms of differences within the three collaboration phases, the intense constructive interaction was shown in the first and second tasks, where scripts were still supported students’ collaborative activities. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the group who actively contributed to socio-emotional interaction was likely to engage well in task-related performance

Culturally diverse students’ conflict experiences and management strategies:a mixed-method study of intercultural collaborative learning

Abstract. As educational practice has been shifting more collaborative and intercultural, the need for facilitating culturally diverse learners becomes more evident. This study aims to get a better understanding of conflict situations among culturally diverse learners during collaborative learning. The participants were students in international Master’s degree programs in the Faculty of Education at the University of Oulu (N=55). The data were collected through an online survey including Likert scale questions to examine the relationships between cultural aspects and conflict management styles, and open-ended questions to investigate the participants’ conflict experiences and management strategies. The quantitative results only confirmed the correlation between the individualism index and dominating conflict management style (p=.011) when excluding a certain group (Finland) that showed divergent results. In the qualitative analysis, many participants reported conflict factors associated with a lack of respect for other members, especially a member’s dominating behavior. The results also show that the participants from individualistic cultures valued more active discussion. They frequently used direct approaches such as explaining own point and asking others to express themselves to resolve conflicts. In contrast, the participants from collectivistic cultures, especially Asian participants, valued more organized work and equal participation. They frequently used indirect approaches such as considering others and not expressing own feelings to avoid conflicts. In conclusion, the findings of the study provide some insights into the research field of intercultural collaborative learning, which is required for future education to support culturally diverse learners