Research – Marcela Borge

Research Projects and Affiliations

My research group, The Collective Cognition and Playful Design group, focuses on examining use of technology to enhance collective thinking processes around STEM domains and in informal playful contexts. Our work includes the design of technologically enhanced informal environments to support the development of design thinking. As part of this project my research group is works with after school and community-based programs to develop a design clubs and camps for learners ages 8-12. These learning contexts focus on developing domain knowledge related to theories of emotion and human-centered design, design for justice, and different aspects of information sciences through art, design, technology innovation, and gaming. We prioritize the development of critical learning processes like digital literacy, how to monitor and regulate collective problem-solving, and how to engage and persuade audiences. Our pedagogy centers on empowering learners, emphasizing learning through play and the joy of problem solving. This project provides hands on opportunities to work with young learners, design empowering technologically-enhanced learning environments for diverse learners, and learn about collective regulation, theories of play, design, social justice, and learner empowerment. Our graduate students learn how to create and maintain a community of learners, implement and evaluate STEM technologies, collect and analyze data in real-world K-12 design contexts, and help young learners to regulate complex learning processes.

We are in the process of investigating the following research questions: what are the strengths and weaknesses of young learners’ collective thinking processes when solving design problems; to what extent do different popular gaming and programming/design technologies support or hinder social learning processes and the development of higher-order thinking; how do teacher facilitation moves impact the development of a design learning community; how do young learners learn to regulate collaborative practices over time as part of a learning community; to what extent can mobile-eye tracker technology capture engagement and potential learner problems; and how do different forms of technology support higher quality collaboration and student control over learning trajectories. Recent papers describing this project include:

(Students*)

Borge, M. & Xia, Y. (2023) Beyond the individual: The regulation and negotiation of socioemotional practices across a learning ecosystem, Journal of the Learning Sciences, 32:3, 325-375, DOI: 10.1080/10508406.2022.2157725
Borge, M., *Toprani, D., & *Yan, S. (2020). Embedded modeling: A method for developing underlying design thinking skills. Computer Science Education 40(1), 47-71. DOI:10.1080/08993408.2019.1688592
Borge, M. (2023). Beyond diversity, equity, and inclusion: Designing spaces that empower youth. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, Volume 35, 100550, DOI:10.1016/j.ijcci.2022.100550 (published online first)
*Yan, S., & Borge, M. (2020). Learning from design failure, collaboratively. In M. Gresalfi and I.S. Horn (Eds.),The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Volume 1 (pp. 302-309). Nashville, TN: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI:10.22318/icls2020.302. Winner of Best Student Paper award.
*Xia, Y., & Borge, M. (2020). Collaborative agency that drives collaborative problem-solving and learning. In M. Gresalfi and I.S. Horn (Eds.), The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Volume 3 (pp. 1221-1228). Nashville, TN: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI:10.22318/icls2020.1221
Borge, M. & Mercier, E. (2019). Towards a micro-ecological approach to CSCL. The International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning . 14(2), 219-235. DOI:10.1007/s11412-019-09301-6
*Fu, X., Nelson, E., Borge, M., Buss, K., & Perez-Edgar, K. (2019). Stationary and ambulatory attention patterns are differentially associated with early temperamental risk for socioemotional problems: Preliminary evidence from a multimodal eye-tracking investigation.
Development and Psychopathology 31 (3), 971-988. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579419000427
*Toprani, D., *AlQahtani, M., & Borge, M. (2019). Children’s Interaction around Digital Technology in Collaborative Learning Environments. In K. Lund, G.P. Niccolai, E. Lavoué, C.H. Gweon, & M. Baker (Eds.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings, 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2019. (2), (pp. 589-592). DOI: 10.22318/cscl2019.589
*Jung, Y., *Toprani, D., *Yan, S., & Borge, M. (2017). Children’s participation in rule-making to mitigate process problems in CSCL. In B. K. Smith, M. Borge, E. Mercier, K. Y. Lim (Eds.),
Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL, 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2017, Volume 2, (pp. 4). Philadelphia, PA: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI: 10.22318/cscl2017.101
*Toprani, D., *Yan, S., & Borge, M. (2016). A comparative analysis of the collaboration process across different technologies. In Proceedings of the 6th Annual Conference on Creativity and Fabrication in Education (FabLearn ’16). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 66-69. DOI:10.1145/3003397.3003407
Borge, M., *Yan, S., Shimoda, T., & *Toprani, D. (2016). Moving beyond making: Towards the development of ThinkerSpaces. In the Workshop Proceedings of (ACM)Sig CHI2016(San Jose, California, May 7– 12). ACM.

My group also conducts research in formal, higher education contexts. As part of this work, we partner with faculty across different universities to redesign courses to test the effectiveness of different technologies to support the development of collaborative competencies. I have also designed, developed, and tested a variety of different software programs to support collective sense-making. For example, I developed a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning environment, called CREATE, with my long-time collaborator Todd Shimoda. This online environment was designed to help students assesses the quality of their collective sense-making processes and support the development of sociometacognition: the knowledge of and ability to regulate collaborative processes. We have also been examining how different features and learning tools affect the development and practices of online communities of learners. More recently, we have been implementing the CREATE system activities within courses that tackle difficult content like social justice, equity, and multi-cultural competence. We have also been examining how generative AI tools can help to scale such instructional interventions. Together with my collaborators we have been examining whether and how the CREATE tools and pedagogies can support multi-cultural collaborative learning in ways that can scale to large undergraduate courses. Recent papers from this project include:

(*Student at time of submission)

Soto, J., *Stoyer, M., Borge, M., Mena, J. (2023). Accurate assessment of multicultural growth: The case for using retrospective reassessments. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000364
Soto, J. A., Mena, J. A., Borge, M., Stoyer, M. R., Witherspoon, D. P., & Dawson-Andoh, N. A. (2023). Multicultural Competence Building Blocks: Multicultural Psychology Courses Promote Multicultural Knowledge and Ethnic Identity. Teaching of Psychology, 50(4), 307-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283211031854
*Aldemir, T., Borge, M., & Soto, J. (2022). Shared meaning making about emotionally difficult topics. International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning 17(3), 361-396. DOI:10.1007/s11412-022-09375-9
Borge, M., *Aldemir, T. & *Xia, Y. (2022). How teams learn to regulate collaborative processes with technological support. Educational Technology Research and Development 70, 661–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10103-1
Borge, M., Soto, J. A., *Aldemir, T., & Mena, J. A. (2022). Building multicultural competence by fostering collaborative skills. Teaching of Psychology 49(1), 85-92. DOI:10.1177/0098628320977421
*Aldemir, T. & Borge, M. (2020). Unpacking collaborative sense-making: The role of reflective accuracy in collaborative process quality. In M. Gresalfi and I.S. Horn (Eds.),
The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Volume 3 (pp. 1709-1712). Nashville, TN: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI:10.22318/icls2020.1709
*Xia, Y., & Borge, M. (2020). Examining the relationship between calibration and reflection in an online discussion environment. In M. Gresalfi and I.S. Horn (Eds.),The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Volume 3 (pp. 1293-1300). Nashville, TN: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI:10.22318/icls2020.1293
*Aldemir, T., & Borge, M. (2019). Unpacking Socio-Metacognitive Sense-Making Patterns to Support Collaborative Discourse. In K. Lund, G.P. Niccolai, E. Lavoué, C.H. Gweon, & M. Baker (Eds.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings, 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2019.Volume 2, (pp. 945-946). Lyon, France: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI:10.22318/cscl2019.320
*Xia, Y., *Lee, H., & Borge, M. (2019). Exploring Students’ Self-assessment on Collaborative Process, Calibration, and Metacognition in an Online Discussion. In K. Lund, G.P. Niccolai, E. Lavoué, C.H. Gweon, & M. Baker (Eds.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings, 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2019, Volume 2 (pp. 620-623). Lyon, France: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI: 10.22318/cscl2019.945
Borge, M., & Shimoda, T. (2019). Designing a computer-supported-collective regulation system: A theoretically informed approach.Technology, Instruction, Cognition, & Learning 11(2-3), 193-217. https://www.oldcitypublishing.com/journals/ticl-home/ticl-issue-contents/ticl-volume-11-number-2-3-2019/ticl-11-2-3-p-163-192/
Borge, M.,*Ong Shiou, Y., & Rosé, C. (2018). Learning to monitor and regulate collective thinking processes.International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 13 (1), 61-92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-018-9270-5
Borge, M. (2017). Rethinking how we support online learning in the age of isolation and information abundance: An introduction to The CREATE system. International Journal on Innovations in Online Education, 22.
*JooYoung, S., *AlQahtani, M., *Ouyang, X., & Borge, M. (2017). Embracing students with visual impairments in CSCL. In B. K. Smith, M. Borge, E. Mercier, K. Y. Lim (Eds.),
Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL, 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2017, Volume 2, (pp. 4). Philadelphia, PA: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI:10.22318/cscl2017.81
*Shiou Ong, Y., & Borge, M. (2016). Joint idea-building in online collaborative group discussions. In C. K. Looi, J. L. Polman, U. Cress, and P. Reimann (Eds.), Looi, C. K., Polman, J. L., Cress, U., and Reimann, P. (Eds.), Transforming Learning, Empowering Learners: The International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2016, Volume 1 (pp. 878-881). (1), (pp. 8). Singapore: International Society of the Learning Sciences. DOI:10.22318/icls2016.36