Effects of role taking in online writing and reading activities for knowledge building in a blended university course

Role taking is an established technique for promoting social cognition. Playing a specific role within a group could lead students to exercise collective cognitive responsibility for collaborative knowledge building. Two studies explored the effects of role taking on participation in a blended university course. Students participated in the same knowledge-building activity over three consecutive, five-week modules and enacted four roles. In Study 1, 59 students were distributed into groups with two conditions: students who took a role in Module 2 and students who did not take a role, using Module 1 and 3 as pre and post tests. Results show no differences in participation in Module 1, higher levels of writing and reading for students with a role in Module 2, and this pattern sustained in Module 3. Students with the Synthesizer role was the most active in terms of writing and the second most active for reading; students with the Social Tutor role were the most active for reading. In Study 2, 143 students were divided into groups with two conditions: students who had a role in Module 1 and students who did not have a role. Content analysis reveals that students with roles tended to vary their contributions more than students without roles by proposing more problems, synthesizing the discourse, reflecting on the process and organization of activity. They also assumed correct responsibilities for their role: the Skeptic prioritizes questioning of content, the Synthesizer emphasizes synthesizing of content, and the Social Tutor privileges maintaining of relationships.