Assessment of students’ collaborative problem-solving competence with the use of computer-simulated, scenario-based tasks: a systematic literature review

Assessment of collaborative problem solving (CPS) competence has recently gained much research interest in education, given the importance of CPS in equipping students to succeed in the evolving demands of modern society. Specifically, there is an increased interest in computer-simulated, scenario-based tasks to provide environments for students to solve problems together and assess their CPS competence. Given the lack of systematic and critical reviews on the topic, this review provides an analysis of relevant, and systematically selected, empirical articles (n = 26) assessing students’ CPS competence using computer-simulated, scenario-based tasks. To move the research on the CPS competence assessment forward, observing students in authentic situations, e.g. small-scale research designs, is suggested. In this way, evidence for validity aspects that is currently lacking could be evaluated. Other possibilities for the future of CPS research afforded by new assessment methods and analytical approaches are also discussed.