Beyond explicit feedback: new directions in adaptive collaborative learning support

Adaptive collaborative learning support (ACLS) may be better than fixed forms of support at increasing learning from collaboration. While much existing adaptive assistance has focused on providing explicit feedback directly to the relevant student, we propose a two-dimensional design space which explores alternative methods of adaptive assistance that are implicit, indirect, or both. We investigated the viability of these ideas using data collected in a classroom evaluation of an ACLS system for peer tutoring which incorporated the design ideas in a manner that provided cognitive support to peer tutors. In this paper, we discuss how students interacted with the different forms of feedback, and propose a second iteration of the assistance that involves collaborative support in addition to domain support.