The Effects of Mobile-Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Meta-Analysis and Critical Synthesis

• Published in: Review of educational research Vol. 87; no. 4; pp. 768 - 805
• Main Authors: Sung, Yao-Ting, Yang, Je-Ming, Lee, Han-Yueh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2017; American Educational Research Association
• Subjects: Collaborative learning; Computers; Cooperative Learning; Doctoral Dissertations; Educational Technology; Effect Size; Group Activities; Group Instruction; Handheld Devices; Intervention; Journals (Academic); Literature Reviews; Meta Analysis; Mobile phones; Portable computers; Reinforcement; Rewards; Social Theories; Systematic review; Teaching Methods; Technology Uses in Education; Telecommunications; mobile device; meta-analysis; mCSCL; critical synthesis; collaborative learning
• ISSN: 0034-6543; 1935-1046; 1935-1046
• DOI: 10.3102/0034654317704307

One of the trends in collaborative learning is using mobile devices for supporting the process and products of collaboration, which has been forming the field of mobile-computer-supported collaborative learning (mCSCL). Although mobile devices have become valuable collaborative learning tools, evaluative evidencefor their substantial contributions to collaborative learning is still scarce. The present meta-analysis, which included 48 peerreviewed journal articles and doctoral dissertations written over a 16-year period (2000-2015) involving 5,294 participants, revealed that mCSCL has produced meaningful improvements for collaborative learning, with an overall mean effect size of 0.516. Moderator variables, such as domain subject, group size, teaching method, intervention duration, and reward method were related to different effect sizes. The results provided implications for future research and practice, such as suggestions on how to appropriately use the functionalities of mobile devices, how to best leverage mCSCL through effective group learning mechanisms, and what outcome variables should be included in future studies to fully elucidate the process and products of mCSCL.