This study aims to explore how high school students collaboratively solve
problems in a web problem-based learning (WPBL) system in an 8-week digital
logic course using discourse analysis. Employing in-depth interviews, this study
also investigated the students’ attitudes toward the WPBL system. The number of
teaching assistants’ responses had a negative relationship with the number of peer
responses. Regarding dialogue quality, extended questions and brainstorming
stimulated each other. Elaboration facilitated problem solving, whereas organizing
knowledge from books or websites decreased reflection. Students affirmed the
usefulness and effectiveness of the web system because it created an interactive,
flexible, comfortable and collaborative learning environment.
