Scripts for Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

Using computers as tools to mediate collaborative learning has had a profound impact on how we construct and communicate knowledge today. Computer interfaces have not been genuinely designed, however, to support collaborative knowledge construction. This study shows how computer interfaces can be designed based on the instructional script-approach to facilitate productive interactions of learners and improve learning outcomes of collaborative knowledge construction in e-learning scenarios. A social script aims to support specific interactions of learning partners. An epistemic script aims to facilitate specific task-related activities. In a 2×2-design the factors “social cooperation script” (with vs. without) and “epistemic cooperation script” (with vs. without) are independently varied. 96 students of Pedagogy are randomly assigned to the four experimental conditions in learning groups of three. The epistemic script increases the amount of specific epistemic activities, and facilitates the joint application of focused knowledge. Simultaneously, the epistemic script reduces the frequency of important social modes of co-construction, such as elicitation. With respect to learning outcomes, it can be further shown that the epistemic script impedes individual knowledge acquisition. Epistemic scripts may therefore be particularly appropriate for the facilitation of joint knowledge application, where individual knowledge acquisition may be less important than effective processing of a given problem in groups. In contrast, however, social cooperation scripts may be more appropriate for individual knowledge acquisition than group problem solving. Social scripts facilitate individual knowledge acquisition as an outcome of collaborative knowledge construction. The results suggest that cooperation scripts for individual knowledge acquisition should consider social components.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität

Year

2003

Author dc:creator

• Weinberger, Armin

Repository record source_url

https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/1120/

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de:1120