Measuring Collaborative Behaviours in Virtual Constructivist Learning Environments: Process-level Approach & Methodology

There is a growing interest in developing methodologies to analyze learners’ social behaviors in the process of cognition and knowledge construction in constructivist learning. However, few studies have proposed methods by which those behaviors can be analyzed and measured so as to provide empirical evidence. This paper aims to propose a research strategy, approach and methodology to measure individual’s propensity towards collaborative behaviors in the process of knowledge construction of organizational performance measures. The proposed methodology includes: (1) a step-by-step incremental process by which learners can develop resolution strategies in response to socio-cognitive conflicts; (2) a coding structure to categorize and evaluate social behaviors in learner’s interactions: (3) a composite variable formula to measure learner’s propensity towards collaborative behaviors. The proposed methodology is experienced in an online business management course where a virtual constructivist learning environment is designed and implemented in a Learning Management System to measure learner’s collaborative behaviors. This paper will be useful to researchers and educators in field of educational psychology and
management accounting education