Design and effects of representational scripting on group performance

• Published in: Educational technology research and development 2010-10, Vol.58 (5), p.589-608
• Main Authors: Slof, B., Erkens, G., Kirschner, P. A., Jaspers, J. G. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognitive Processes; Collaborative learning; Computer Assisted Instruction; Cooperative Learning; Development; Development Article; Education; Educational environment; Educational Technology; Group Activities; Group performance; Instructional Effectiveness; Knowledge representation; Learning; Learning and Instruction; Machine learning; Posttests; Pretests; Problem solving; Secondary Education; Secondary School Students; Selling price; Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 1042-1629; 1556-6501
• DOI: 10.1007/s11423-010-9148-3

This study investigated the effects of representational scripting on non-expert student learning while collaboratively carrying out complex learning-tasks. The premise underlying this research is that effective cognitive activities would be evoked when complex learning-tasks are structured into phase-related part-tasks and are supported by providing students with part-task-congruent external representations for each phase; representational scripting. It was hypothesized that this approach would lead to increased individual learning and better complex learning-task performance. In groups, 96 secondary education students worked on a complex business-economics problem in four experimental conditions, namely one condition in which the groups received representations that were part-task-congruent for all three phases and three conditions in which the groups received one of these representations for all three phases (i.e., part-task-incongruent for two of the three phases). The results indicate that groups receiving part-ask-congruent representations in a phased order performed better on the complex learning-task, though this did not result in increased individual learning.