I know my teammates: the role of Group Member Familiarity in Computer-Supported and face-to-face collaborative learning

Considering the importance of group member familiarity in collaborative learning in classroom learning environments, this study examined the impact of group member familiarity on CSCL (computer-supported collaborative learning) in a networked setting. Also, the differences between CSCL in the online environments and FtF (face-to-face) collaborative learning were also compared. An analysis using structural equation modeling revealed that group member familiarity increased teamwork satisfaction, which in turn increased student engagement and perceived knowledge construction. A multi-group analysis revealed that while FtF collaborative learning exhibits higher levels of group member familiarity, teamwork satisfaction, student engagement, and perceived knowledge construction, the mediating effect of teamwork satisfaction was more pronounced in online settings. The study findings provided insights for teachers to improve collaborative learning experiences and adapt different teaching strategies.