The Effects of Web-Based Collaborative Learning on Student Achievement---A Meta-Analysis

[[abstract]]Web-based collaborative learning has been an important research topic in education. Starting from 1990, many studies relating to web-based collaborative learning have been published in the USA. It gradually becomes a popular research topic in Taiwan since the announcement of Nine-year Curriculum Reform by the government of Taiwan in 2001. In a short period of time, more than 100 articles relating to web-based collaborative learning were published in Taiwan, in which about 54 were empirical research. With such a huge research literature, it is important to know what the effects of web-based collaborative learning on students’ achievement (e.g., content knowledge, higher-level thinking abilities, attitude toward learning, social skills, etc.). This study attempts to use the meta-analytic approach to synthesize current research regarding the effectiveness of web-based collaborative learning on students’ cognitive, affective, and social behavior outcomes in Taiwan. Furthermore, the comparison of research literature on web-based collaborative learning between Taiwan and the USA will be included. It is hoped that this synthesis will help to provide a clearer conclusion on this issue.