Results from an Investigation of Groups Working at the Computer.

Abstract

Computer based learning materials, enhanced by graphics, can provide ample opportunities for interactive learning. MaterialQ which stimulate dialog can be particularly effective when more than One student works at the computer. This paper reports resulEs of an investigation of interactivity among young adolescent students working at the computer. Groups ranged from individuals working alone to four students working together. Interactivity was enhanced when students workdd in twos or threes. INTRODUCTION As microcomputers gradually become available in schools and other learning environments, many questions arise as to how they can best be used. Since (at least in the near term) computers are expensive tools of instruction, and limited in number, it is important to consider the advantages. and disadvantages of having students use computers in small groups. The purpose of the current study has been to examine learning by individuals and groups in a computer envirorment. Individual _______interattivity as-a function of group size -was investigated-lay focussing on the various modes of interaction available to students \Iusing a computer. Achievement was measured by administering brief aper and pencil tests and individual interviews. In addition, a ascription of social interaction among students using computers was developed by making global assessments of the learning sessions, Which context is better_forr l_e_arning_t__group_or___individual? Clearly,---. --Individuals working alone at the computer have exclusive access to the program, but normally do not articulate their ideas verbally. Students working as members of groups, on the other hand, may have less access to the keyboard, but ha7e many opportunities for verbal and social interaction with other members of the group. How do these opportunities for interaction affect learning? A number of research efforts have focussed .on the effects of instructional group size on learning in non-computer environments. *work supported by NSF grant no., SED-8112633 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 1NFORMATION-CENTER (ERICIP The results vary. Students working in groups have shown greater gains than individuals working alone in some cases but not in others. Klausmeier, Wiersma and Harris (1) examined the efficiency with which concepts were learned by students who participated in instructional groups of various sizes. They concluded that students working in pairs and quads grasped concepts faster than individuals. (Triads were not examined.) However, on transfer tests, subjects who had learned as individuals generally exhibited greater concept retention than those who had learned in a group:In another study, Sharan, Ackerman and Hertz-Lazarowitz (2), found no differences between those students who worked individually and those who worked in small groups in the .learning of low level information. In the learning of higher level concepts, however, they found thatgroups did better. Reviews of literature by Sharan (3), Johnson and Johnson (4), Stavin (5) and Webb (6) also point out that the small group enhances learning in some cases, but not in others. The current stUdy_used instructional materials which emphasize highlevel learning: reasoning skills and conceptual understanding. The materials utilize simulations of science experiments whit students perform on the screen. A Socratic dialog format encourages active participation by the learner. RESEARCH METHODS The science materials were produced at the Educational Technolggy Center under two previous development project-d:-Thilf-were designed specifically todevelop formal reasoning skills and scientific literacy, and have been described elsewhere (7,0,9,10). Subjects were middle ability students drawn from seventh and eighth grade classes in the Irvine Unified School District. Individually or in groups of 2, 3 or 4, they participated in unsupervised activities at the computer. Sessions lasted about 40 minutes each. Each session wasvideotapedv an interface_device connecting the videotape recorder to the computer enabled researchers to review the course of the computer prograi during their observations of student behavior. Three components of the group activity were recorded on Videotape: (1) video of the studenta_working together, (2) audio of their conversation, and (3) all key pushes of the computer keyboard. The videotape data collection system consisted of a microcomputer that ran the interactive learning-ma-terials, a video cassette recorder with two separate audio channels (one channel for voice, the other for keystrokes), an interface device for conncting the computer to the recorder, and associated utility software for handling f_nput and output during recording and playback sessions. An observational instrument, akin to the systems of interactional analysis pioneered by Bales (11) and Flanders (12), was developed to categorize behaviors representing various kinds of interactivity. The videotaping system and observational instrument wen: tested and -refined during a Pilot Study which has been de-s-cribed-elsewhere (13,14,15). The coupling of computer and videotape recorder, provides an authentic reconstruction of the original learning session' hich yields to systematic and reliable observation.