Collaborative Problem Solving with Cases in a Virtual Professional Training

Several studies have analyzed the problem solving activities in face-to-face groups, but this is not yet sufficiently investigated in virtual groups. Therefore, this study focuses on the analysis of the collaborative problem solving activities and problem solutions of five groups who participated in a virtual professional training on the topic of knowledge management. The training itself was didactically designed according to the principles of problem-oriented learning (Reinmann & Mandl, 2006). Different authors have proposed models for individual problem solving (Dorner, Kreuzig, Reither, & Staudel, 1983, Hayes 1989; Putz-Osterloh 1983). All these models contain a sequence of problem solving steps which should lead to successful problem solving. But how does problem solving turn out to be under collaborative conditions? Wetzel (1995) has developed a model for problem solving in groups. This model considers apart from the problem solving activities, which are also relevant for individual problem solving, certain collaborative activities: The content-specific problem solving activities are important as an indication for content-relevant aspects. These are “gathering information” which means the collection and preparation of all information needed to solve a problem or problem solving task (Mabry & Attridge, 1990) and “developing a solution” which includes the development of a problem solution on the basis of the collected and prepared information (Resnick, Salmon, Zeitz, Wathen, & Holowchak, 1993). Secondly the coordination-specific problem solving activities which are particular for problem solving in groups are of great importance to avoid process loss in coordination (Fischer & Waibel, 2002). These are “planning the common proceeding” and “steering the interaction process”. The first includes all contributions concerning the distribution of tasks and the time planning. The second includes all contributions relevant for the whole proceeding during a certain problem solving task. To measure the effectiveness of problem solving activities, the following two qualities of knowledge are important for analysing the problem solutions (De Jong & Ferguson-Hessler 1996). At first there is the “conceptual knowledge” which means the content-specific knowledge concerning a certain domain, e.g. knowledge management. , and Heinz Mandl