Collaborative Learning in Engineering Education: A Grounded Theory Analysis of a CSCL Application

This study examines how students collaborate on engineering problems and the effect of information technology on facilitating collaboration. Twenty-eight undergraduate engineering students were placed in small groups to discuss questions about mechanics of materials, either face-to-face or via a keyboard chat. Students were interviewed after completing the tasks, and the interviews were analyzed using the grounded theory approach. The resulting framework suggests that social goals as well as achievement goals are major motivations for students’ behavior in the team situation, and that technology and group characteristics were acknowledged to influence their actions during and after the cooperation

Evaluating the Use of 3D Visualization Technology in Geology Education

Information systems can contribute to the success of students in engineering and science. In this study, 3-D visualizations that create a realistic map of rock structures are used to aid students in developing the spatial intuition to understand geological processes. This technology received positive ratings for learning outcomes and within the technology acceptance model. In addition, qualitative data provides additional detail about what features are correlated with the success of direct manipulation visualizations. The qualitative data suggest that the interface design may be a moderator of the relationship between the completeness of the visualization and how much individuals can benefit from the visualization

Developing a Grounded Theory Model on Collaboration in Learning

The purpose of this research is to develop a grounded theory model to explain the factors influencing collaborative learning in higher education, the role of technology in facilitating collaboration, and the outcome of collaboration. We assigned 28 participants to small groups to work on course-related questions; half of the groups were face-to-face groups and the other half groups were collaborating in a simulated virtual environment with the aid of information technology. Interview data was collected and analyzed following the grounded theory approach. Congruent with distributed cognition theories, the results of our study suggest that both social and technological factors were important and interlocking. We also discussed the importance of designing learning technologies that have strong social and communications features