The effects of computer-mediated communication on inductive learning by groups
Daly, Bonita Law
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/21053
Description
Title
The effects of computer-mediated communication on inductive learning by groups
Author(s)
Daly, Bonita Law
Issue Date
1990
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Chandler, John S.
Department of Study
Accountancy
Discipline
Accountancy
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Business Administration, Management
Education, Educational Psychology
Information Science
Language
eng
Abstract
This thesis investigates the effect of computer-mediated communication, as compared to face-to-face discussion, on inductive learning by groups. An experiment was conducted in which four-person groups attempted to induce a rule which partitioned a deck of playing cards into exemplars and nonexemplars. All data for inducing the rule were presented via computer in an iterative process consisting of several rounds of hypothesis generation and testing. In half of the groups, members communicated with each other in face-to-face discussions. In the other half, groups members were physically isolated from each other and communicated through a network of personal computers.
Social combination processes, which describe the mappings to a group decision from individual members' views prior to discussion, and problem solving performance were compared between communication conditions. In the computer-mediated and face-to-face condition, social combination model testing indicated that group hypotheses concerning the rules determining exemplars and nonexemplars were similarly predictable from the individual members' hypotheses recorded prior to group discussion. The percentage of correct rule inductions was also the same in both conditions. However, groups in the computer-mediated condition entered significantly more hypotheses which were inconsistent with the available evidence than did groups in the face-to-face condition.
Because of the greater time and effort required to type and send comments, relative to speaking, groups in the computer-mediated condition may not have reviewed proposed hypotheses as thoroughly as did groups in the face-to-face condition. In fact, subjects in the computer-mediated condition required more time, made fewer comments, and were less satisfied with their groups than were subjects in the face-to-face condition.
That groups in the two communication conditions were equally likely to induce the correct rule and that the same social combination processes described the group decision in the two conditions provide support for the substitution of computer-mediated communication for face-to-face discussion. Compared to face-to-face discussion, though, there were more errors and lower levels of satisfaction with computer-mediated communication. Modifications to the group decision support system which might reduce the potential for errors are suggested.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
