Rating the quality of collaboration during networked problem solving activities

This paper describes the adaptation and generalization of a rating scheme for judging the quality of collaboration during network-based problem solving activities with Synergo, a network-based synchronous collaborative drawing environment including a shared whiteboard and a chat tool. The goal of this study was to develop a tool for assessing the strength and weaknesses in students’ collaboration in large samples. A second goal was to show that the rating scheme’s dimensions can capture the main aspects of effective collaboration across diverse settings. Adaptation of the rating scheme involved adjusting the dimensions' definitions to the affordances of the Synergo tool and characteristics of the given algorithm task, and testing it in a sample of six dyads selected from a broad range of studies. The final, adapted rating scheme includes seven dimensions: (i) collaboration flow, (ii) sustaining mutual understanding, (iii) exchanging knowledge and giving explanations, (iv) argumentation, (v) structuring the problem solving process and time management, (vi) cooperative orientation, and (vii) individual task orientation. For each dimension, we provide a detailed definition and case studies that illustrate how the rating scheme’s dimensions can be used to describe and evaluate differentially the quality of students’ collaboration. We outline perspectives for future research applying the newly developed rating scheme.