Temporality matters: Advancing a method for analyzing problem-solving processes in a computer-supported collaborative environment

Abstract

This paper argues for a need to develop methods for examining temporal patterns in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) groups. It advances one such quantitative method—Lag-sequential Analysis (LsA)—and instantiates it in a study of problem-solving interactions of collaborative groups in an online, synchronous environment. LsA revealed significant temporal patterns in CSCL group discussions that the commonly used “coding and counting” method could not reveal. More importantly, analysis demonstrated how variation in temporal patterns was significantly related to variation in group performance, thereby bolstering the case for developing and testing temporal methods and measures in CSCL research. Findings are discussed, including issues of reliability, validity, and limitations of the proposed method.