Velamazán, MarianoSantos, PatriciaSánchez-Reina, J. RobertoHernández-Leo, Davinia2025-11-102025-11-102025Velamazán M, Santos P, Sánchez-Reina JR, Hernández-Leo D. Optimising anonymity in CSCL: comparing collaboration between identified and anonymous-to-peers login modes. Educ Inf Technol. 2025 Sep;30(14):20237-88. DOI: 10.1007/s10639-025-13504-w1573-7608http://hdl.handle.net/10230/71830Most research on anonymity in computer-supported collaborative learning, which has reported both positive and negative outcomes, largely focuses on a fully anonymous login mode. In this context, further research is necessary to finetune the approach to the ‘login mode’ to optimise the potential benefits while mitigating the drawbacks. This study tests a subtle variation in this mode by which messages remain anonymous to peers (APM) but not to the teacher. We designed a quasi-experimental study with an analysis of the conversations and preferences of first-year university students (N = 109), conducted by employing content analysis of the log data and a post-task questionnaire. We conclude that APM is more productive in terms of participation and discussion oriented to content than in a completely anonymous mode. Additionally, a content analysis of the discussion messages focused on'off task'messages has been performed aiming to enhance comprehension of their nature, impact on social interactions, and the patterns associated with their use. The outcome of this analysis has resulted in a first attempt at a taxonomy that enhances the understanding of the APM and its impact on social interactions in CSCL environments.application/pdfengThis article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13504-wAnonymityOff-task messagesCSCLSocial interactionsSocial presenceSocio-emotional aspects of collaborationMotivationRegulation during collaborationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess