From computer-supported collaborative learning to human–AI collaboration: CSCL research in fifty years of computers & education

Abstract

The fiftieth anniversary of Computers & Education (C&E) offers an opportunity to examine how computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) has evolved within one of the field's leading journals and how the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is shaping its future direction. Understanding how CSCL research has evolved within C&E requires looking beyond individual studies and considering broader patterns in the literature. To this end, we reviewed articles published up to April 2026. A total of 501 studies met the inclusion criteria defined by the PRISMA procedure. The review integrated bibliometric analyses, citation data from OpenAlex, and detailed manual coding to provide a comprehensive methodological approach. These analyses helped to reveal the historical development of the field while also highlighting the increasing visibility of GenAI. The findings demonstrate that CSCL research has progressed from early conceptual studies to a mature, empirically driven field characterized by methodological diversification and the increasing integration of learning analytics. Higher education, small-group collaboration, and classroom-based interventions dominate the literature, with Taiwan and the United States as the leading contributors. The findings demonstrate an emerging shift toward viewing GenAI not merely as a supportive technology but as an active participant in collaborative learning. While this research area is still developing, the studies reviewed emphasize the importance of learner agency, pedagogical guidance, and hybrid forms of regulation in supporting productive human–AI collaboration. The review's contribution is to connect the long-term evolution of CSCL with the early emergence of human–AI collaboration, highlighting a possible extension from technology-mediated human–human collaboration toward hybrid human–human–AI knowledge construction.