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Article of Volume 5, Issue 2, June 2010

Promoting metacognitive skills through peer scaffolding in a CSCL environment

Authors: Manoli Pifarre, Ruth Cobos

Abstract: This paper aims to better understand the development of students’ metacognitive learning processes when participating actively in a CSCL system called KnowCat. To this end, a longitudinal case study was designed, in which 18 university students took part in a 12-month (two semesters) learning project. The students followed an instructional process, using specific features of the KnowCat design to support and improve their interaction processes, especially peer-learning processes. Our research involved both supervising the students’ collaborative learning processes throughout the learning project and focusing our analysis on the qualitative evolution of their interaction processes and of their metacognitive learning processes. The results of the current research suggest that the pedagogical use of the KnowCat system may favour and improve the development of the students’ metacognitive learning processes. In addition, the implications of the design of CSCL networks and related pedagogical issues are discussed.

Keywords: Metacognitive learning, Self-regulated learning, Peer interaction, Peer scaffolding, Qualitative research

Citation: Pifarre, M. & Cobos, R. (2010) Promoting metacognitive skills through peer scaffolding in a CSCL environment. ijcscl 5 (2), pp. 237-253

DOI: 10.1007/s11412-010-9084-6

Preprint: pifarre_cobos_5_2.pdf

About this article at link.springer.com [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11412-010-9084-6] including a link to the official electronic version.