Inducing socio-cognitive conflict in Finnish and German groups of online learners by CSCL script

10 11 Abstract Collaborative learners are often meant to be guided by collaboration scripts to 12 identify, discuss, and resolve differences of opinion and knowledge. How learners engage in 13 and resolve conflict, however, may be highly dependent on learners’ cultural background. In 14 this article, we examine the extent to which a peer-critique collaboration script induces socio15 cognitive conflicts within Finnish and German groups of online learners. In a 2×2-design 16 (Finnish/German × without script/with script), we analyzed online discussions in a problem17 based learning environment of 16 German and 28 Finnish groups of three (132 participants in 18 total) with or without script support. Trained coders rated the extent to which learners engaged 19 in socio-cognitive conflicts, by indicating either agreement or disagreement. The results show 20 that the peer-critique script could develop socio-cognitive conflicts. The German groups were 21 affected more strongly by the script, even though the interaction patterns of unscripted German 22 groups were alreadymore conflict-oriented than those of unscripted Finnish groups. Agreement 23 in Finnish groups mostly indicated that learners integrate arguments of learning partners into 24 their own line of reasoning. Agreement in German groups, however, served coordination and 25 continuation of discourse, e.g., by indicating comprehension of others’ ideas. The results 26 showed that learning environments and collaboration scripts need to be designed with respect 27 to culture. Furthermore, the findings emphasized that findings on computer-supported collab28 oration scripts cannot simply be generalized across different cultures. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning DOI 10.1007/s11412-013-9173-4