What do we do when we analyse the temporal aspects of computer-supported collaborative learning? A systematic literature review

To better understand the premises for successful computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), several studies over the last 10 years have analysed the temporal aspects of CSCL. We broadly define the temporal aspects of CSCL as focusing on the characteristics of or interrelations between events over time. The analysis of these aspects, however, has been loosely defined, creating challenges regarding the comparability and commensurability of studies. To address these challenges, we conducted a systematic literature review to define the temporal analysis procedure for CSCL using 78 journal papers published from 2003 to 2019. After identifying the key operations to be included in the procedure, we studied how the studies implemented these operations. When analysing the temporal aspects of CSCL, six key operations were conducted: (a) proposing theoretically framed research questions (mostly descriptive) regarding the temporal aspects of CSCL; (b) setting up the context (mostly online interaction mediated by communication technologies); (c) collecting process data (mostly asynchronous online discussions); (d) conceptualising events from the process data (mostly communication units, such as messages); (e) conducting one or more temporal analysis methods (mostly social network analysis or sequential analysis); and (f) interpreting the outcomes with the temporal analysis and possible data or method triangulation (mostly sequences of two or more events that had to do with learner interaction or thoughts and ideas developed in the interaction). The temporal analysis procedure can help design both theory-driven studies and methodological experiments advancing CSCL research. Overall, our study increases scholarly understanding regarding the temporal aspects of CSCL.