Sensitivities to early exchange in synchronous computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) groups
This study reports the impact of high sensitivity to early exchange in 11th-grade, CSCL triads solving well- and ill-structured problems in Newtonian Kinematics. A mixed-method analysis of the evolution of participation inequity (PI) in group discussions suggested that participation levels tended to get locked-in relatively early on in the discussion. Similarly, high (low) quality member contributions made earlier in a discussion did more good (harm) than those made later on. Both PI and differential impact of member contributions suggest a high sensitivity to early exchange; both significantly predicting the eventual group performance, as measured by solution quality. Consequently, eventual group performance could be predicted based on what happened in the first 30-40% of a discussion. In addition to drawing theoretical and methodological implications, implications for scaffolding CSCL groups are also discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
sensitivity to early exchange cscl participation inequity problem solving convergence fitness