The role of individual preparation on coordination in computer- supported collaborative learning: A neuroscience perspective on learners’ inter-brain synchronization

Individual preparation (IP) is often applied to support collaborative learning. However, there exist mixed results of this pedagogical approach’s effectiveness. This study aims to expand the current understanding of how IP influences social coordination during collaboration. A total of 78 university students (male = 30, female = 48) aged between 21 to 40 years old collaborated in dyads in this study. Functional infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was
used to measure brain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) for every individual during two conditions: immediate collaboration without IP (control condition) and IP before collaboration (experimental condition). Inter-brain synchrony (IBS) between dyads was derived and compared between two conditions. Results revealed that significantly higher levels of IBS could be observed in the control-experimental comparisons. These findings suggest that introducing individual preparation can facilitate social coordination during subsequent collaborative learning.