Transforming reference management software into a hub for collaborative learning

Reference management software (RMS) is ubiquitous in academia but is typically confined to administrative tasks like citation management, overlooking its pedagogical potential to foster collaborative skills. This study addresses this gap by introducing and rigorously evaluating a novel pedagogical framework. This collective scientific research life cycle transforms standard RMS into a dynamic hub for computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design involving 54 master’s students was employed. A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test control group design (n = 23 experimental, n = 31 control) measured the intervention’s impact on teamwork skills. Quantitative data were contextualised through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with experimental group participants. The quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in teamwork competencies for the experimental group compared to the control group (p < .01), with a large effect size (d = 0.91). The qualitative findings illuminated three core mechanisms for this success: (1) the model’s scaffolding structure provided actionable clarity and enhanced accountability; (2) the creation of a ’visible cognition’ space promoted deeper knowledge co-construction; and (3) initial technical challenges functioned as a productive struggle, catalysing team cohesion. The research provides a validated, theory-driven, and transferable framework for educators. It demonstrates how a standard digital tool can be pedagogically repurposed to cultivate the essential collaborative competencies required in the 21st-century academic and professional landscape.