A Cognitive-Load Approach to Collaborative Learning:Task and Learner Characteristics

Femke Kirschner & Fred Paas

Groups of collaborating learners are considered as information processing systems, in which the information within the task and cognitive load caused by the intrinsic nature of the task can be divided across multiple collaborating working memories.

High complexity tasks Low complexity tasks

Individual

•Limited processing capacity

•No communication & coordination (transaction costs)

Group

•Expanded processing capacity

•Communication & coordination (transaction costs)

•Overload •Distribution advantage

•Relatively LOW transaction costs

+- -+•Distribution advantage

•Relatively HIGH transaction costs

•NO overload

Individuals and groups as information processors

Hypothesis

With low complexity tasks, group members will have to invest more mental effort in learning to achieve the same performance than individual learners, because of the relatively high transaction costs.

With high complexity tasks, group members are expected to achieve a higher performance with lower learning mental effort investment than individuals, because the transaction costs are low compared to the gain afforded by a division of cognitive load between the group members.

An exploration into the measurement of group cognitive loadStudy how individual measurements of cognitive load can be used to get a reliable estimate of the group’s or group member’s cognitive load, and how the cognitive load varies as a function of task complexity.

Individual Measurement

Group Measurement

How

Physiological measurements

Task- and performance based- measurements

Subjective measurements

•Non intrusive

•Valid

•Reliable

•Comparable

Centre for Learning Sciences and TechnologiesCelstec.org

Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learningwww.ou.nl

Rating of perceived mental effort

Rating of perceived Mental Effort

How much effort did it take you to complete the task:

1. Very very low effort

2. Very low effort

3. Low effort

4. Somewhat low effort

5. Not low but also not high effort

6. Somewhat high effort

7. High effort

8. Very high effort

9. Very very high effort

Transform•Individual scale (original)

•Group member scale

•Group scale

Output1. Effects of Individual and Group-Based Learning from Complex Cognitive Tasks on Efficiency of

Retention and Transfer Performance (Kirschner, Paas, & Kirschner, in press).

2. A Cognitive-Load Approach to Collaborative Learning: United Brains for Complex Tasks (Kirschner, Paas, & Kirschner, in press).

3. Individual versus Group Learning as a Function of Task Complexity.

4. Measurement of Group Member Cognitive Load.

5. Effects of Individual and Group-Based Learning from Worked Examples on Transfer Performance.