- Author:
- Sandra Clapp Williamson,
- Director:
- David W. Dalton
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate if the presence of embedded metacognitive cues promote achievement, facilitate learner interactions, and improve attitudes towards cooperative learning during a cooperative computer-based lesson. In addition, the study investigated the effects of ability grouping and group interactions.
120 sixth grade students were assigned by ability to one of three group compositions: homogeneous high-ability, low-ability, or heterogeneous. Dyads worked at one of two versions of a cooperative computer-based lesson: a cued treatment or a non-cued treatment. Verbal interactions were audiotaped, while social and management interactions were recorded. An achievement posttest and an attitude survey were administered following the two-day lesson.
A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and univariate ANOVA's revealed that learners in the cued treatment had significantly different achievement posttest scores, exhibited more on-task behavior, and socialized less than learners in the non-cued treatment.
Significant differences for ability groups were found only on the achievement posttest and for management interactions. Specifically, homogeneously grouped low-ability learners tended to have lower achievement posttest scores. In addition, homogeneously grouped low-ability learners and the heterogeneous ability groups engaged in more management interactions than learners in the homogeneously high-ability group.
Attitude survey results were not significantly different for either treatment or group composition. It appears that learners, regardless of the treatment effect or pairing, report similar attitudes toward cooperative computer-based instruction.
These results suggest that cueing to promote verbal interactions is a valuable component in the design of group courseware. However, more information is needed about designing courseware for groups and the effects of nesting strategy interventions into instructional programs. Additional, research focusing on combining knowledge-oriented and process-oriented learning is greatly needed.
