How gender composition influences individual knowledge elaboration in CSCL

Abstract

The aim of the study is to explore the gender difference in learning achievement and knowledge elaboration process in CSCL. A sample of ninety-six secondary school students, aged 16, participated in the two-week experiment. Students were randomly paired to solve six problems about Newtonian mechanics. Their pre- and post-test performances and online interactions were analyzed. We found that female students' learning performance and knowledge elaboration process were sensitive to their partner gender, but that's not the case for male students. Besides, due to a divergent knowledge elaboration process, mixed-gender dyads run the risk of disadvantaging female students in CSCL.