Development of a classification for functional participatory roles enacted during computer-supported collaborative science learning
In a collaborative learning situation, the group, its members, and the learning environment are in active interaction with each other. Roles are a fundamental part of this complex entity. Roles have been used to promote high-quality collaborative learning through an assignment of fixed roles for students. This approach, however, neglects the spontaneous and dynamic nature of roles. The aim of the study was to develop a descriptive classification for functional participatory roles, which captures the dynamic nature of roles from social learning interaction taking place in a virtual collaborative science-learning environment, and to evaluate the reliability and usefulness of the classification in research of collaborative learning interaction. To reach these aims, a rigorous moment-by-moment proceeding video analysis was conducted, and data excerpts representing different functions of roles were utilized.