A comparative study of collaborative learning in Paper Scribbles and Group Scribbles

Paper Scribbles (PS) consisting of markers, vanguard sheets and 3M Post-It notes, is a pedagogical tool to harness collective intelligence of groups for collaborative learning in the classroom. Borrowing the key features of PS and yet avoiding some of their physical limitations, a computer-based tool called Group Scribbles (GS) was designed to enable high performance synchronous, face to face collaborative experiences in the classroom. In our exploratory study, we discuss and compare the different properties of PS and GS technologies in two elementary grade 5 classes. The findings reveal that there are not only physical and technical differences but more importantly, pedagogical differences between the two technologies that accounts for different collaborative learning mechanisms.