Facilitating Disciplinary Reasoning in Online Collaborative Problem Solving: A Mixed Methods Study

• In Event: Human–AI Collaboration in Learning: Dialogue, Inquiry, and Facilitation Patterns

Abstract

With rapid advancements in technology, collaborative problem solving (CPS) increasingly occurs virtually through computer-based platforms, offering rich opportunities to examine collaborative processes in situ and foster CPS, yet automated supports may not fully address the disciplinary depth required for effective learning. This study explores how human facilitation enhances CPS and mathematical reasoning within a computer-based collaborative platform. Using a mixed-methods approach, we applied learning analytics methods to analyze interactions among CPS behaviors and facilitator discourse. Our findings highlight the nuanced ways in which human facilitation shapes collaborative dynamics and supports disciplinary engagement in mathematics in the online environment. This research has implications for the design of intelligent facilitation agents in technology-enhanced learning environments to support students’ collaboration and mathematical process.

Authors

• Jessica Andrews Todd, Educational Testing Service

• Yvonne Lai, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Yang Jiang, Educational Testing Service

• Edith Aurora Graf, Educational Testing Service

• Amy Been Bennett, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Rachel Funk, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Colby Lamb, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Nicole Marienau, University of Nebraska - Lincoln