Coding schemes as lenses on collaborative learning

*Chen, Y., Andrews, C. D., Hmelo-Silver, C. E., D'Angelo, C. (In Press). Coding schemes as lenses on collaborative learning. Information and Learning Sciences.

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Structured Abstract

Purpose: Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is widely used in different levels of education across disciplines and domains. Researchers in the field have proposed various conceptual frameworks toward a comprehensive understanding of CSCL. However, as the definition of CSCL is varied and contextualized, it is critical to develop a shared understanding of collaboration and common definitions for the metrics that are used.

Design/methodology/approach: This research collected coding schemes from researchers with diverse research backgrounds who participated in a series of workshops on collaborative learning and adaptive supports in CSCL as well as coding schemes from recent volumes of the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative learning (ijCSCL). Each original coding scheme was reviewed to generate an empirically grounded framework that reflects collaborative learning models.

Findings: The analysis generated 13 categories, which were further classified into three domains: cognitive, social, and integrated. Most coding schemes contained categories in the cognitive and integrated domains.

Practical implications: This synthesized coding scheme could be used as a toolkit for researchers to pay attention to the multiple and complex dimensions of collaborative learning and for developing a shared language of collaborative learning

Originality/ Value: By analyzing a set of coding schemes, we highlight what CSCL researchers find important by making these implicit understandings of collaborative learning visible and by proposing a common language for researchers across disciplines to communicate by referencing a synthesized framework.

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