An Exploratory Study on Empathy and Online Discussions in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is integral to effective communication and social interaction. In collaborative learning environments, empathy assumes even greater significance as it facilitates idea exchange and problem-solving among students. While previous studies have explored the role of empathy in collaboration, research focusing specifically on its impact on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between students’ levels of affective and cognitive empathy and their chat discussion behavior within a CSCL environment. An exploratory descriptive study with 188 students from Spain (N = 133) and Brazil (N = 55) (Mage = 15.7 years) examined how affective and cognitive empathy influence student’s online discussion within a CSCL environment. This study provides initial insights into the relationship between empathy and online collaboration. The findings indicate a positive correlation between students’ levels of Perspective Taking and messages oriented to socialization. While, groups with higher max values under cognitive and affective empathy demonstrated a positive correlation with task-oriented messages. This study provides novel insights into the emergence of empathy within CSCL environments and has implications for the design of online collaborative learning platforms and educational technologies.