Developing the role concept for computer-supported collaborative learning: An explorative synthesis

  • Authors:

  • Jan-Willem Strijbos;Maarten F. De Laat

  • Affiliations:

  • Leiden University, The Netherlands;School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK and University of Utrecht, IVLOS Institute of Education, P.O. Box 80127, 3508 ...

  • Venue:
  • Computers in Human Behavior
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

The role concept has attracted a lot of attention as a construct for facilitating and analysing interactions in the context of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). So far much of this research has been carried out in isolation and the focus on roles lacks cohesion. In this article we present a conceptual framework to synthesise the contemporary conceptualisation of roles, by discerning three levels of the role concept: micro (role as task), meso (role as pattern) and macro (role as stance). As a first step to further conceptualise 'role as a stance', we present a framework of eight participative stances defined along three dimensions: group size, orientation and effort. The participative stances - Captain, Over-rider, Free-rider, Ghost, Pillar, Generator, Hanger-on and Lurker - were scrutinised on two data sets using qualitative analysis. The stances aim to facilitate meaningful description of student behaviour, stimulate both teacher and student awareness of roles at the macro-level in terms of participative stances, and evaluate or possibly change the participation to collaborative learning on all levels.