Emerging
social positions in a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Community
Li Sha & Jan van Aalst Simon Fraser University
Results
§Four sub-groups (blocks) with
structural equivalence were found by blockmodel analysis. This means that the 24
students clustered around four different Òsocial positionsÓ as their interactions unfolded
§A logistical
regression analysis shows that FSA scores for reading and numeracy
were statistically significant
discriminators of group membership, after adjusting for gender (p<.05)
Significance
§The disclosure of social positions of
students provides an insight into mechanisms of collaboration in the course of
constructing collective knowledge, particularly when the social positions are obtained
empirically rather than pre-assigned.
§This study may be one of the first attempts
to explore the existence of naturally emerging social positions in knowledge
building communities.