Knowledge construction and regulation of learning in asynchronous collaborative tasks

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research developed with students of bachelor's degree in education from Autonomous University of Baja California, Mexico. In six small groups of students, collaborative learning processes in asynchronous communication technology environments were analyzed. Through a multiple case study methodology, the discourse displayed by the students during their collaboration was analyzed with a double focus: the cognitive discourse oriented to the knowledge construction and the discourse aimed to regulate the task. The results highlights that the establishment of goals, the formulation of positive expectations about the task, the monitoring of progress and the socio-emotional support are regulatory mechanisms that contribute strongly to the development of rich and profound processes of shared knowledge construction. A positive effect of the regulatory discourse on the cognitive activity of students is concluded.

Keywords

• collaborative learning
• higher education
• knowledge construction
• regulation of learning
• virtual learning