This study investigates how different dashboard designs (i.e., mirroring and alerting dashboards) affect the orchestration actions of teachers in Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). The data collected in this study, including dashboard screen recordings, log data, and observation notes, were gathered from a single teacher who has prior knowledge of using the orchestration tool used in this study. Teacher orchestration actions are categorized based on a coding scheme that combines orchestration load facets (Situation Evaluation and Action Taking) and the ACAD framework. Results reveal that the alerting dashboard prompted 166 teacher orchestration actions, more than the 116 actions performed with the mirroring dashboard. Alerts facilitated orchestration actions, such as extending activity time (SET), Reviewed students' answers (EPSTIMIC), and monitoring collaboration (SOCIAL), emphasizing their role in the dashboard's ability to effectively guide teachers in orchestrating CSCL activities. While the mirroring dashboard appears less effective in managing student interactions and leaves more data interpretation up to the teachers, it still contributes to effective orchestration. Therefore, the results indicate that although both dashboards contribute to orchestration, the alerting dashboard may guide teachers more effectively in orchestrating the CSCL activities. The study suggests some guidelines to improve the alerts in the dashboards, such as customized alerts and contextual recommendations that can support teachers in regulating CSCL activities.

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) seeks to improve students’ learning with the support of technology. Although CSCL facilitates an enriching environment for cooperation, CSCL activities might be affected by asymmetrical participation. Group awareness tools have proven to enhance learners’ interactions, balancing the levels of participation and increasing the learning outcomes. This study investigates the effect of a group awareness tool (GAT) on participation within synchronous CSCL activities in the context of extracurricular activities. We designed a quasi-experimental within-subject study (GAT exposure and control condition) and tested an ad hoc GAT in a web-based CSCL platform with high school students (N = 140). The measured variables included the effect of the GAT on students’ participation and the quality of discussion. A complementary analysis evaluated students’ perceptions of the tool. Results revealed that the implementation of a GAT encourages students to take part in CSCL discussions without explicitly hindering its quality. Even so, the balance of participation was not significantly affected. Students further reported that they found the GAT useful to regulate collaboration. The results from the study provide further knowledge of the functioning of group awareness tools in secondary education and share an insight into how students perceive them.

This study investigates the extent to which Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensor data can be triangulated with self-perception measures to estimate facets of teachers’ orchestration load in the context of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). It was expected to observe variances in the EDA signal as a result of stressful moments and incidents related to orchestration. Study findings indicated that EDA variations concurred with situations in which the teacher reported feeling stressed when orchestrating CSCL Pyramid scripts.

Teacher-led debriefing has the potential to positively affect learning gains when conducted at the end of collaborative learning activities. In order for debriefing to be effective, the teacher needs to base it on the learner’s process during the activity. Research in the field of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is proposing teaching-facing dashboards as tools that facilitate the monitoring and orchestration of activities. However, research has paid less attention to how these dashboards can support debriefing. We explore how adding a “flagging” feature to a CSCL orchestration dashboard can support debriefing by reporting a qualitative preliminary study in which the flagging feature was used during a Pyramid CSCL script activity. Results indicate that the dashboard interface design, number of student responses, number of errors in student responses, and whether student responses meet the teachers expectations most influence the use and utility of the feature. Additionally, we identified avenues for improving and extending the design of the feature.

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of self-explanations (SE) as an instructional practice and study strategy. However, there is a lack of work studying the characteristics of SE responses prompted by collaborative activities. In this paper, we use writing analytics to investigate differences between SE text responses resulting from individual versus collaborative learning activities. A Coh-Metrix analysis suggests that students in the collaborative SE activity demonstrated a higher level of comprehension. Future research should explore how writing analytics can be incorporated into CSCL systems to support student performance of SE activities.

Well-structured collaborative learning groups scripted based on Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns (CLFPs) often result in successful collaborative learning outcomes. Formulation of such learner groups based on instructor defined criteria promises potentially effective performance of participating students. However, forming student groups manually based on multiple criteria often fails due to its complexity and the time limitations of practitioners. Hence, an intelligent assistance which supports adaptive collaboration scripting based on instructor defined criteria, while adhering to CLFPs is presented. Constraint Optimization techniques have been used for learner group formation and preliminary tests revealed that the proposed approach could be utilized when formulating student groups while satisfying team formation criteria.