Three-phased grounding script for distance student groups

Design · All designs
Evidence · 3 claims (2 for, 1 against) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description

A collaboration script that "provides a format for carrying out a grounding discussion among students who have to work together at a distance and who do not know each other". It divides grounding into an input phase, in which participants individually make their knowledge and objectives explicit; a discussion phase focused on differences and inconsistencies between members; and a consensus phase in which the group resolves differences and summarizes shared knowledge. Its theoretical rationale draws on small-group work, brainstorming, and CSCW research, on the idea that students should negotiate common goals and build detailed models of each other's knowledge, skills, and motivation.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• Students who do not know each other and work together at a distance on a joint assignment
• A discussion forum or comparable environment in which the scripted discussion can take place

Constraints

• The script pushes but does not force students to interact in a particular way, so unintended use is possible
• Too much control in the dialogue can diminish motivation and endanger learner autonomy

Target Learners

• international distance-education students in small groups of three to six

Learning Goals

• establishing common ground about group members' knowledge, objectives, and qualities before collaborative work

Claims

• Script Increases Grounding Input Amount Length [+M]
• Script Increases Discussion On Differences [+M]
• No Script Effect On Summary Quantity Quality [-M]

Related Designs

Examples

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Key Sources

• Judith Schoonenboom. (2008). The effect of a script and a structured interface in grounding discussions. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-008-9042-8

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	three-phase-grounding-script
title	Three-phased grounding script for distance student groups
description	A collaboration script that "provides a format for carrying out a grounding discussion among students who have to work together at a distance and who do not know each other".
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-18
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — judith-schoonenboom-2008

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