Evoking Knowledge and Information Awareness for Enhancing Computer-Supported Collaborative Problem Solving

• Published in: The Journal of experimental education Vol. 78; no. 2; pp. 268 - 290
• Main Authors: Engelmann (née Keller), Tanja, Tergan, Sigmar-Olaf, Hesse, Friedrich W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Taylor & Francis Group 01-01-2010; Heldref Publications; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Cognitive psychology; Collaboration; collaborative digital concept mapping; Collaborative learning; Computer Assisted Instruction; computer-supported collaboration; computer-supported collaborative problem solving; Computers; Concept Mapping; Control groups; Cooperation; Cooperative Learning; Data visualization; Environment; Expertise; Fertilizers; Foreign Countries; Germany; group awareness; Group Dynamics; Information Processing; Internet; Interpersonal communication; Interpersonal Competence; Knowledge; knowledge and information awareness; Knowledge Representation; LEARNING, INSTRUCTION, AND COGNITION; Nonverbal Communication; Participative Decision Making; Problem Solving; Questionnaires; Research facilities; Self organizing maps; Short Term Memory; Social Responsibility; Studies; Visualization; Germany
• ISSN: 0022-0973; 1940-0683
• DOI: 10.1080/00220970903292850

Computer-supported collaboration by spatially distributed group members still involves interaction problems within the group. This article presents an empirical study investigating the question of whether computer-supported collaborative problem solving by spatially distributed group members can be fostered by evoking knowledge and information awareness, i.e., awareness of a group member with regard to both their fellow collaborators' domain knowledge and information underlying this knowledge. The study (N = 30 triads) confirmed the efficiency of this approach by comparing (a) an experimental condition in which an environment for fostering knowledge and information awareness was provided and (b) a control condition without such an environment, with regard to communication and cooperation aspects, the quality of the group maps (needed for solving the problems), and the problem-solving performance.