Thread-based Analysis of Patterns in VMT

In this chapter we present a thread-based approach for analyzing synchronous collaborative math problem-solving activities. Threading information is shown to be an important resource for analyzing collaborative activities, especially for conducting sequential analysis of interaction among participants of a small group. We propose a computational model based on thread information, which allows us to identify patterns of interaction and their sequential organization in computer-supported collaborative environments like VMT. This approach enables us to understand important features of collaborative math problem solving in a chat environment and to envisage several useful implications for educational and design purposes.