A three-dimensional model that helps tutors to monitor groups during a collaborative online work

Abstract

Abstract-The E-Learning, model, based on learner's activity, can provide proof for competence assessment. Such models are the foundation for learning and teaching support, such as adaptation, assessment, competence analysis, recommendations and so on. This paper describes a method for analysing the learning processes that takes place in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. Our approach is based on tracking the interactions between learners within groups and on a three-dimensional model that includes a participative, an interactive and an affective dimension. The exploitation of these traces can serve three main purposes: the evaluation of the quality of the process, the monitoring of student's performance in real time and the assessment of collaborative learning performances. In this study, the importance of a good climate of trust and affection in promoting teamwork is presented. In addition, a set of indicators is obtained by tracking course learner's behaviour within the learning environment. The findings of an empirical study of 14 work-based teams are discussed. The results can benefit to the tutor by providing him the opportunity to rebuild the working groups based on the stable and variable characteristics of learners.Keyword-E-learning, Traces, Indicators, Sociograms, Online collaborative work I. INTRODUCTION Usually, courses in online learning platforms are structured in various phases. In each phase, learners are required to engage in collaborative activities aimed at producing the work requested by their tutors. In order to do so, they will need to discuss, collaborate, negotiate meanings and finally reach an agreement in order to reify a shared product that is the expression of the group's achievements. However, tutors often struggle to track learners/groups progress or to detect learners/groups experiencing difficulties [1]. In order to have a deep understanding of the learning process, tutors are required to go beyond the surface level of interactions in order to understand the social and the cognitive processes involved. As computer conferencing systems usually record and maintain a history of the events occurring during the learning process, a wealth of information that can be analyzed is available.Several research studies over the last decades are leaning towards the track analysis in online learning environments. The main objective of this research is to guide tutors to interpret the learner's activities in elearning situations, by exploiting and analyzing the traces and providing knowledge on the activities, which we call learning indicators. These indicators help to understand and monitor learning in order to help tutors and offer them the opportunity to rebuild the working groups accusing difficulties based on the stable and variable characteristics of learners.Unfortunately, in our last study [1], some learners did not produce nothing due to an absence of a cohesion in the group. These include the problems of the affective dimension of learners, convergence proble...