Concept mapping as a medium of shared cognition in computer-supported collaborative problem solving

This article presents an experimental study aimed at investigating the learning effectiveness of concept mapping for computer-supported collaborative problem solving. The main assumption underlying this research is that shared cognition is substantial for cognitive construction and reconstruction and that concept mapping is an effective tool for mediating computer-supported collaboration. Three scenarios for "mediated group interaction" by concept mapping have been designed-distributed, moderated, and shared. They are based on the assumption that the form in which knowledge is shared strongly influences the process of shaping, and shared cognition subsequently influences the effectiveness of collaborative learning. These three scenarios demonstrated differential effects towards various aspects of learning effectiveness both at the group and at the individual level. It is concluded that both the mode of sharing and the representation of knowledge as expressed by students are more important than the access to the distributed resources itself. The sharing scenarios showed to be most appropriate for establishing a supportive learning environment.