Constructing a joint problem space: The computer as a tool for sharing knowledge

Jeremy Roschelle, Stephanie Teasley

This chapter presents a case study intended to exemplify the use of a computer as a cognitive tool for learning that occurs socially. We investigate a particularly important kind of social activity, the collaborative construction of new problem solving knowledge. Collaboration is a process by which individuals negotiate and share meanings relevant to the problem solving task at hand. The essential property of collaborative problem solving, we argue, is that it enables the construction of a shared conceptual structure which we call a Joint Problem Space. The Joint Problem Space (JPS) supports problem solving activity by integrating semantic interpretations of goals, features, operators and methods. We propose that the fundamental activity in collaborative problem solving occurs via the students' participation in the creation and maintenance of a JPS.

Research Areas

Technology Development

Keywords 

Community & Collaboration
microworld
problem solving
Science & Inquiry
simulation

Citation 

Teasley, S. D., & Roschelle, J. (1993). Constructing a joint problem space: The computer as a tool for sharing knowledge. In S. P. Lajoie & S. J. Derry (Eds.), Computers as Cognitive Tools (pp. 229-258). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

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