Capturing temporal pathways of collaborative roles: A multilayered analytical approach using community of inquiry

In collaborative learning, students may follow different trajectories that evolve over time. This study used a multilayered approach to map the temporal dynamics of online problem-based learning (PBL) and the transition of students’ roles across time over a full year duration. Based on data from 135 dental students across four consecutive courses throughout a full academic year, the students’ discourses were coded based on the community of inquiry (CoI). A mixture model was used to identify students’ roles. The roles identified were leaders, social mediators, and peripheral explorer roles, and they were visualized using epistemic network analysis (ENA). Similar trajectories were identified and visualized using sequence and process mining. The results showed varying activity levels across three trajectories. Students in the active-constructive trajectory took on leadership roles, while the students in the social interactive trajectory were mostly social mediators, and the free rider trajectory showed a predominant peripheral explorer role. The students in all trajectories returned to their initial roles, showing features typical of stable collaborative dispositions. Both active trajectories (active constructive and social interactive) had very close levels of achievement, whereas the free riders demonstrated lower grades compared to their peers. This research suggests that understanding role dynamics and their evolving trajectories can help teachers better design future collaborative activities, assign roles, form groups, distribute tasks, and, more importantly, be able to support students.