Effects of computer-supported collaboration script and incomplete concept maps on web design skills in an online design-based learning environment

Web design skills are an important component of media literacy. The
aim of our study was to promote university students’ web design
skills through online design-based learning (DBL). Combined in a
2x2-factorial design, two types of scaffolding were implemented in
an online DBL environment to support the students through their
effort to design, build, modify, and publish web sites on processes
and outcomes measures, namely collaboration scripts and incomplete
concept maps. The results showed that both treatments had positive
effects on collaborative (content-related discourse quality,
collaboration skills, and quality of published web sites) and
individual (domain-specific knowledge and skills related to the
design and building of websites) learning outcomes. There was
synergism between the two scaffolds in that the combination of the
collaboration script and incomplete concept maps produced the most
positive results. To be effective, online DBL thus needs to be
enhanced by appropriate scaffolds, and both collaboration scripts
and incomplete concept maps are effective examples.