Collaborative problem solving in shared space

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine collaborative problem solving in a shared virtual space. The main question asked was: How will the performance and processes differ between collaborative problem solvers and independent problem solvers over time? A total of 104 university students (63 female and 41 male) participated in an experimental study. Participants were randomly assigned to four different experimental groups: individual & multi-tasking, collaborative & multi-tasking, individual & single-tasking, and collaborative & single-tasking. Results showed that the participants who collaborated and had multi-tasking activities outperformed the others. Additionally, collaboration helped to improve overall performance over time. The study offers insights for collaborative learning from both theoretical and methodological perspectives.