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Unveiling the Relationship between Undergraduate Students' Emergent Roles and Learning Performance in Collaborative Argumentation-Based Learning: Insights from Sequence Clustering and Entropy Analysis

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Title: Unveiling the Relationship between Undergraduate Students' Emergent Roles and Learning Performance in Collaborative Argumentation-Based Learning: Insights from Sequence Clustering and Entropy Analysis
Language: English
Authors: Qingtang Liu, Yubei Chang (ORCID 0000-0002-9215-2567), Xiaojuan Li (ORCID 0000-0001-8251-0845), Xinxin Zheng
Source: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 2026 42(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Cooperative Learning, Persuasive Discourse, Group Dynamics, Role, Role Perception, Discussion
DOI: 10.1002/jcal.70173
ISSN: 0266-4909
1365-2729
Abstract: Background: Roles are the socio-cognitive interaction patterns in social learning. Analyzing emergent roles provides insights into how students naturally participate and contribute knowledge in productive collaborative argumentation-based learning (CABLE). However, previous studies lack a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the emergent roles in CABLE. In addition, the relationship between the emergent roles and the CABLE performance of groups and individuals needs to be further explored. Objectives: This study aims to identify emergent roles in CABLE and explore the relationship between the dynamic fluctuation of emergent roles and learning performance from both individual and group perspectives. Methods: To fill this gap, a collaborative argumentation discussion activity was conducted among 33 undergraduate students. The study analyzed the fine-grained collaborative discourse moves based on the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. Then, the study identified emergent roles and quantified the dynamic fluctuation of emergent roles through sequence clustering and entropy analysis. Finally, the relationship between the emergent roles and the CABLE performance of groups and individuals was explored. Results and Conclusions: The findings revealed that students emerged as Discussion facilitators, Viewpoint contributors, and Knowledge integrators during CABLE. Students with high argumentation skills had significantly higher role entropy values than students with low argumentation skills, and they flexibly regulated and transitioned their emergent roles. Furthermore, the higher the dynamic fluctuation of group emergent roles, the better the group learning performance tended to be. Based on the findings, the study proposed implications for instructional design and future research directions to optimize students' CABLE.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1495852
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Unveiling the Relationship between Undergraduate Students' Emergent Roles and Learning Performance in Collaborative Argumentation-Based Learning: Insights from Sequence Clustering and Entropy Analysis
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Qingtang+Liu%22">Qingtang Liu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yubei+Chang%22">Yubei Chang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9215-2567">0000-0002-9215-2567</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xiaojuan+Li%22">Xiaojuan Li</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8251-0845">0000-0001-8251-0845</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xinxin+Zheng%22">Xinxin Zheng</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Computer+Assisted+Learning%22"><i>Journal of Computer Assisted Learning</i></searchLink>. 2026 42(1).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 16
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperative+Learning%22">Cooperative Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Persuasive+Discourse%22">Persuasive Discourse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+Dynamics%22">Group Dynamics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Role%22">Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Role+Perception%22">Role Perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discussion%22">Discussion</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1002/jcal.70173
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  Data: 0266-4909<br />1365-2729
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Roles are the socio-cognitive interaction patterns in social learning. Analyzing emergent roles provides insights into how students naturally participate and contribute knowledge in productive collaborative argumentation-based learning (CABLE). However, previous studies lack a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the emergent roles in CABLE. In addition, the relationship between the emergent roles and the CABLE performance of groups and individuals needs to be further explored. Objectives: This study aims to identify emergent roles in CABLE and explore the relationship between the dynamic fluctuation of emergent roles and learning performance from both individual and group perspectives. Methods: To fill this gap, a collaborative argumentation discussion activity was conducted among 33 undergraduate students. The study analyzed the fine-grained collaborative discourse moves based on the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. Then, the study identified emergent roles and quantified the dynamic fluctuation of emergent roles through sequence clustering and entropy analysis. Finally, the relationship between the emergent roles and the CABLE performance of groups and individuals was explored. Results and Conclusions: The findings revealed that students emerged as Discussion facilitators, Viewpoint contributors, and Knowledge integrators during CABLE. Students with high argumentation skills had significantly higher role entropy values than students with low argumentation skills, and they flexibly regulated and transitioned their emergent roles. Furthermore, the higher the dynamic fluctuation of group emergent roles, the better the group learning performance tended to be. Based on the findings, the study proposed implications for instructional design and future research directions to optimize students' CABLE.
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