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Collaborative Problem-Solving in Virtual Environments: Effect of Social Interaction, Social Presence, and Sociability on Critical Thinking
Book chapter

Collaborative Problem-Solving in Virtual Environments: Effect of Social Interaction, Social Presence, and Sociability on Critical Thinking

Rajashi Ghosh, Carolyn Rude-Parkins and Sharon A. Kerrick
The Next Generation of Distance Education, pp 191-205
09 Jan 2012

Abstract

Collaborative Learning Critical Thinking Social Interaction Social Presence Virtual Environment
New and increasingly complex online technologies are attractive to course developers, but do they add value for students and teachers in terms of deeper social connection and increased collaborative learning? This exploratory study examines students’ perceptions of social presence, sociability, and social interaction related to critical thinking in groups in three different virtual environments (e.g., text chat, online audio conference, and avatar-based interaction). The findings suggest that perceptions of user difficulty and the nature of the collaborative activity influence learner perceptions in critical thinking group tasks in virtual environments, while the type of virtual environment has less effect. Limitations and critiques are discussed.

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