At the Virtual Math teams (VMT) project, we are designing and experimenting online
collaborative environments where small groups of students discuss about math together
and solve interesting math problems using a chat program along with a shared
whiteboard. During the problem solving process, students seek information for various
purposes and from various resources. They share information and construct meaning of it
through interactions within the group. Understanding their information behavior helps us
to design information resources and learning environments to suit their needs. We have
examined and analyzed students’ interactions using conversation analysis. We report here
our findings on how small groups of students negotiate information needs, seek
information, and use information to solve their problem. We then discuss the implications
and make suggestions for design of digital libraries that can support collaboration and
learning
