Assessing Collaborative Problem Solving: What and How?

Abstract

With the increasing interests in and recognition of the importance of CPS competence as an educational outcome goal, there will be stronger demands for valid instruments and metrics for the measurement of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills (CPS) from policy makers to education practitioners and parents. The availability of valid instruments and norms for CPS achievement would also promote CSCL adoption within the wider education arena. This study explores two methods of assessing CPS: using the ATC21S online tasks and using qualitative discourse analysis of the same groups of students’ transactions as they work together on an authentic learning task. By comparing the measurements arising from both methods, we raise issues and contradictions observed and suggest further research directions related to the measurement of CPS.