Tracing success: graphical methods for analysing successful collaborative problem solving Richard Joiner a, *, Kim Issroff b a Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK b Department of Education and Professional Development University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK Abstract The aim of this paper is to evaluate the use of trace diagrams for analysing collaborative problem sol- ving. The paper describes a study where trace diagrams were used to analyse joint navigation in a virtual environment. Ten pairs of undergraduates worked together on a distributed virtual task to collect five flowers using two bees with each participant controlling one of the bees. This task is used extensively in researchonmulti-robotsystems.Thejointnavigationofthepairswasanalysedusingtracediagrams.They showed that more successful pairs divided the task up, showed very little overlap and very little back- tracking. Whereas, the less successful pairs, showed no task division, there was significant overlap and extensive backtracking. From this analysis we developed numerical measures of task division, overlap and backtracking. Task division was significantly and negatively related with task performance. Backtracking and overlap were significantly and positively correlated. # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Collaborative learning; Evaluation methodologies; Navigation 1. Introduction Over the last 20 years there has been a considerable amount of research concerning colla- borative learning in general and more specifically computer supported collaborative learning (for example see the following recent special issues of journals: Littleton, Faulkner, Miell, Joiner, & Hakkinen, 2000; Morris & Joiner, 2002, and recent books Joiner, Littleton, Faul- kner & Miell, 2000; Koschmann, Hall, & Miyake, 2002). One method of investigating the process of collaborative learning has been to analyse the discourse between the participants 0360-1315/$ - see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2003.08.001 Computers & Education 41 (2003) 369–378 www.elsevier.com/locate/compedu * Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-1225-38-4373; fax: +44-1225-38-6572. E-mail address: r.joiner@bath.ac.uk (R. Joiner).