SoLLs.INTEC.

09

Collaborative Skills and Learning

Processes in a Virtual Context

Anuratha Kanniah
anuratha412@gmail.com.sg
Pramela Krish
pkrish10@yahoo.com
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
 Introduction
• Collaborative learning 
interdependence of learners as they
share ideas and reach a conclusion
(Roberts, 2004; Anuratha, 2009)
• CSCL  group based learning
+computer (Daphne, 1996)
- Computer  tool to put forward
thought
- Learning is invisible in virtual context
 Purpose of the Study
• To find out learners’ preferred collaborative
skills and subskills in a virtual learning
context.
• To study how the internal and external
processes in an online learning mode
predispose collaborative learning.
 Research Questions
1) What are the preferred collaborative
learning skills and subskills among the
participants in the weblog?
2) How the internal and external processes
predispose a collaborative discussion in
a weblog?
Relevant Theories and Perspectives to
Study CSCL

Collaborative Learning Constructivist

&
CSCL

Internal & External Sociocultural

Processes in
CSCL
 Learners work together
to solve problems

Helps to develop higher Creates space for

level thinking
Collaborative
Learning
Fosters teamwork –
Interdependence of
learners to handle
complicated tasks.
negotiation
(Dilenbourgh,1999)
- Learners produce
ambiguous
statement>misunderstandi
ngs>explain, justify
 CSCL

Synchronous Asynchronous
-Chat rooms -e-mail
-Audio / video -CD-ROM
conferencing -Weblog

•Learning takes place anytime, anywhere

• free to post entries
• anonymous
 Internal & External
Processes

Internal Process External Process

• Use of social
• thinking takes place in the environment to
individual (Piaget ,1954) discover learning
eg. Construct arguments, (Vygotsky, 1978)
explanation, initiating eg. seek external
doubts help
 Surrounding plays and important role
Surrounding plays
an important role

Surrounding knowledge Learning has only

is important in learning Sociocultural significant value in the
(Vygotsky) context of joint activity

Ability to understand
something complex
with the help of others
 How learners create
meaning out of individual
mind

Knowledge is constructed
by individuals Knowledge is constructed
Constructivis based on previous
t
(Piaget. et.al) knowledge

Individual mind is capable

to form abstract thought and Mind is important to
solve problems interpret outside world
 Research Design

Allows researcher to
To explore a topic
seek a real world
where it requires
setting to understand
researcher to listen to Qualitative the actual process
the participants to
that takes place in a
construct a picture
situation.
based on their ideas
Patton (2001)
(Creswell, 1994)
 Sample
• 20 students from SKBI 6053, Critical
Reading Approaches course (compulsory
Masters program course)
• Working adults and fresh graduates
• Mixed gender population
 Research Procedure
Stage 1: Data Collection Documentation
Stage 2: Data Reduction Simplifying the data
Stage 3: Coding Easy referencing - P20 (TSH)
Stage 4: Compression of data Tables
Stage 5: Data Interpretation Use of established theories to analyse
the data
 Findings: Research Question 1
• Dominant Skills and Subskills in the Collaborative Learning Skill
Taxonomy
Collaborative Learning Skills

Creative Conflict (59.28%) Conversation (21.68%) Active Learning (18.5%)

Argue Acknowledge Task Maintenance Inform Request Motivate

(100%) (52%) (32%) (16%) (94.6%) (4.35%) (0.96%)

Familiar with the topic and

have sufficient background
knowledge - extensive evidence
+ - participants acknowledge others 
- constructing questions mind as an
Positive interdependence of instills emotional connection and
important tool to interpret information
learners to accept or reject encourages continued investment and - lack of motivational aspect learners
others point of view involvement are more concern to produce
= constructive comments than explicitly
Joint product encourage other participants.
 Findings: Research Question 2
Internal and External Processes in the Weblog Discussion

External Process Internal Process

Constructin Setting up Using Monitoring

Progress Dealing with Supportive
g the Hypothesis Evidence Own
through Task Competition & Behavior
Questions Thinking
Conflict
 Collective Mediation

Importance of Collective mediation

Importance of environmental (a shared mediation
Individual mind + competence as a
means of learning
= of internal and
external processes)
 Collective Mediation

P31 P32
(BO (DO
H) D)

P13
P31 P34 (DWN
(HV (MR )
C) W)

P3
P1 (HV P11
(BO C) (MM
H) R)
P37 P36
(HV (DY
C) P)

P1 P4 P15
(D (MM (HV
YP) R) C)

P22 P35
(H (H
VC VC
) )

P37 P34
(MR
(H
W)
VC
)

P36
(D
YP)

A Model Showing How Learning Takes Place in a CSCL Environment

 Collective Mediation
• Arrows  connection between the
individual participants in the
subgroup
• Circles  Importance of individual
mind to generate discussion
• Vygotsky  Social nature provides
necessary condition for learning
• Piaget  Individuals play important
role in learning
 Significance of the Study
• Course coordinator
-Easy to construct course modules based on the
findings
-Should consider CSCL to enhance learner-centered
environment
• Academic weblog designers
-Create an effective interface design
-Should consider theoretical tenets (cognitive & social
skills) to foster collaborative learning in virtual mode 
sentence openers
•Students
-students can understand the important of openness in
learning
-gives an idea that online discussion is convenient and
“safe” to exchange ideas
Thank you........