An effective method for incentivizing groups implemented in a collaborative problem-based learning system to enhance positive peer interaction and learning performance

ABSTRACT

Many studies have verified that the effective promotion of both positive interactions among individual group members and group accountability is a critical issue in collaborative problem-based learning (CPBL). This work, therefore, proposes a group incentive mechanism (GIM) that is based on considering several important factors that influence peers’ interactions and group accountability in collaborative learning to improve learning performance, interactive relationships, group efficacy, and the cohesiveness of groups of learners in a CPBL system. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed GIM, 48 Grade 4 students from two classess were recruited from an elementary school in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, to participate in an instruction experiment. Two classess were randomly assigned to the experimental group using CPBL with the proposed GIM and the control group using CPBL with the individual incentive mechanism (IIM) to solve a target problem collaboratively. Analytical results reveal that although the control group of learners with the IIM exhibited greater social interactions than the experimental group of learners with the proposed GIM, the experimental group exhibited better learning performance, group efficacy, and positive interactive relationships than the control group.

KEYWORDS:

• Problem-based learning
• collaborative learning
• group incentive mechanism
• interactive relationships
• group efficacy
• group cohesiveness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan [grant number MOST 106-2511-S-004 -006 -MY3].

Notes on contributors

Chih-Ming Chen

Chih-Ming Chen is currently a professor in the Graduate Institute of Library, Information and Archival Studies at National Chengchi University, Taipei City, Taiwan. He received BSc and MSc degree from the Department of Industrial Education at National Taiwan Normal University respectively in 1992 and 1997, and received PhD degree from the Department of Electronic Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in 2002. His research interests include digital library, e-learning, data mining, machine learning, and intelligent agents on the web.

Jung-Ying Wang

Jung-Ying Wang is currently a professor in the Department of Multimedia and Game Science at Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. He received BSc and MSc degree from the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology respectively in 1987 and 1989, and received PhD degree from the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in 2007. His research interests include game AI, machine learning, and intelligent systems on the web.

Rong-Hua Zhao

Rong-Hua Zhao is currently a graduate student in the E-learning Master Program of Library and Information Studies at National Chengchi University, Taipei City, Taiwan. His research interests include e-learning and computer-assisted collaborative learning.