I learn. You learn. We learn? An experiment in collaborative concept mapping.

In this paper we present an experiment on digitally-supported collaborative Concept Maps focused on asynchronous and remote collaboration. We investigated the integration of multiple perspectives on the same topic, providing users with a tool allowing an individual perspective for each user plus a shared one for the group. Several user actions were made available, affecting one or both perspectives, depending on the context. Results show that integrating different perspectives in a way that everyone can relate to is indeed a complex task: users need to be supported not only in the production of a shared Concept Map, but also in the process of adapting their mental representations, in order to understand, compare and possibly integrate others’ points of view. Our experiment shows that both collaboration in concept mapping (emphasis on the process) and collaboration on a Concept Map (emphasis on the result) are needed, whereas most tools, including the one we experimented with, focus on the latter. The main challenge is allowing people to understand, compare and assess each other’s map, recognizing commonalities and differences through different representation styles and spatial organizations.