Exploring the relationship between mediating tools and student perception of interdependence in a CSCL environment.(computer supported collaborative learning)

This study investigated how different tools differentially mediate the way groups interact and how the differential tool use and interactivity influence interdependence in online collaborative activity. Activity Theory is used as a framework to examine and explain computer-mediated interactions among students during group work. The findings reveal that the characteristics of tools are associated with differential communication and interaction patterns, which in turn are associated with students' perceptions of sharing the work, being socially interdependent, and the intellectual nature of the co-construction of work.

Introduction

Because of rapid advances in the capabilities of and access to technologies and the growing recognition of the importance of social construction to learning, computer mediated communication (CMC) has become a focus of educational research. CMC, as defined by Wolz, Walker, Palme, Anderson, Chen, et al. (1997), is "any form of interpersonal communication that uses some form of computer technology to transmit, store, annotate, or present information created by one or more participants" (p. 51). CMC has been promoted as a means to improve communication and collaboration in group learning (Jonassen & Kwon, 2001). The current study examines data from multiple sources in order to better understand how CMC tools mediate group work as well as how the use of those tools affects student perception of positive interdependence (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1998), an essential factor influencing cooperative work and collaborative learning. Understanding how students use CMC tools to facilitate their collaboration and how CMC tools shape the way students interact can contribute to (1) advancing knowledge about social activity in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL), (2) developing improved instructional methods for CSCL, and (3) providing guidance for CSCL systems development. According to Bannon and Bodker (1991), tools, including means to divide work, standards, strategies, and language, are artifacts of an activity. They are made by humans and available before a certain activity takes place, and they mediate the relationships between humans and their objectives. They are also appropriated by humans to best fit their experiences and needs over the span of an activity.

Theoretical Framework

Piaget's cognition theory showed peer interaction and collaboration to be a very important source of cognitive development (Driscoll, 2000). There are three processes that contribute to one's cognitive development, they are assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium. Piaget believed that when a problem is presented, learners use their pre-existing knowledge and information gained from interacting with their peers and environment to come to a solution. In other words, when learners experience new problems, disequilibrium sets in until they are able to assimilate and accommodate new information and attain a new degree of equilibrium (Thomson & Meggit, 1997). The equilibrations process is the backbone of cognitive development (Ginsburg & Opper, 1978).

Moreover, Vygotsky's idea of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which is defined as "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving in collaboration with more capable peers" (Rowlands, 2000, p. 540), identifies the essential role of having learners interact with others in their environment and in collaboration with peers. According to Vygotsky (1978), cognition is developed through social interaction, that is, students internalize the meaning and uses of mediated tools as they communicate and interact with others until they internalize the process (Lin, Lin, & Laffey, 2004). Research frequently shows that there are clear educational advantages of collaborative activity (Oliver & Omari, 1998), such as achievement enhancement (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1998; Benbunan-Fich & Hiltz, 1999), cognitive development (Bhattacharya & Chatterjee, 2000), and critical thinking (Gokhale, 1995). Along with the omnipresence of using computers and the Internet in classrooms, CSCL seems to have a promising influence on both students' learning and teachers' teaching (Oliver & Omari, 1998; Bell & Winn, 2000; Koschmann, 1996).

Strijbos, Martens, and Jochems (2004) posited that there are five components of collaborative learning: participants, positive interdependence, group task, individual accountability, and a shift in the role of the teacher. Among these components, Johnson and Johnson (1992) argued that positive interdependence is the key to effective collaboration. According to Johnson, Johnson and Holubec, positive interdependence, links group members together "... so one cannot succeed unless all group members succeed. Group members have to know that they sink or swim together" (1998, p. 4). In other words, students have to clearly understand that each group member's efforts (the division of labor) are required and crucial for group success. "Each group member has a unique contribution to make to the joint effort because of his or her resources and/or role and task responsibilities" (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1998, p. 4). The major indicators of positive interdependence involve promotive interaction occurring during the group working process (Johnson & Johnson, 1992; Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1995) and individual accountability (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1995; Slavin, 1980). Promotive interaction is defined as group members encouraging and facilitating each ...