INFLUENCE OF FEEDBACK ON DISTRIBUTED PROBLEM BASED LEARNING Enhancing Online Communities in Group Functioning and Well-Being

This research examines two different kinds of feedback-mechanism to scaffold problem solving as well as interaction in an asynchronous PBL course. An automated feedback mechanism has been used to enhance interaction and group well-being during computer supported collaborative learning. We tracked individual contribution behavior as well as learners’ motivation during collaborative problemsolving by means of an asynchronous communication platform. These data have been used to automatically generate visual aids, providing feedback about group members’ participation as well as motivational clues. A second feedback mechanism has been applied by aggregating learners’ problem solving discourse into a meta-document. This document revealed groups’ problem-solving strategies as well as their progress during different problem solving stages. We examined how this scaffolding methodology based on a group’s own behavior enhanced problem-solving outcomes. Results suggest positive influences of feedback mechanisms on problem-solving as well as motivational parameters.