Abstract:

A descriptive and explanatory study was conducted to investigate the effects of external collaboration script and cultural diversity on the learning processes and online collaborative behavior in computer-mediated communication (CMC). For this purpose, an experimental 2x2-factorial design was established with the external collaboration script (with vs. without) and group composition with respect to Hofstede's individualist-collectivist cultural dimension (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous) as independent variables. Culturally heterogeneous and homogeneous dyads were assigned to one of the two conditions (with and without external collaboration script). In total sixty five dyads of students (N=130) worked collaboratively on a learning task in the field of intercultural communication for about six week time in CMC learning environment. Two already existing coding schemes were utilized to analyze the transcripts in terms of the students’ learning processes and their online collaborative behaviors in CMC. The results suggest that students' cultural background (the individualist-collectivist dimension) affects their learning processes and online collaborative behavior in CMC. In addition, the results showed the positive effects of the introduced script for culturally heterogeneous student dyads on the following online collaborative behavior variables: contributing, seeking input, and social interaction.

Keywords:

Computer-mediated-communication, culturally diverse students, collaborative learning, Interactive learning environment, higher education.