Trace Analysis in Instrumented Learning Groupware: an experiment in a practical class at the university

Software for supporting students in learning in a collaborative way is very often less productive than expected. We have defined models to collect and analyse traces of learning activities in instrumented collective learning situations (ICLS). We have conducted an experiment, to test a prototype of an observation station, with students and a teacher during a foreign language course at the university. We use this prototype to point out how software tool use models can provide a human observer with information to analyse collaborative learning activities..