Collaborative group work and the different types of cognitive load

Abstract

From a cognitive load perspective, successful collaborative learning occurs if groups achieve their goals, and if each member processes information in a way that contributes to individual learning. This research looked at group work among postgraduate STEM students in South Korea (N= 55) to see if successful collaborative learning and individual contribution were associated with greater individual course success. Results showed that students who participated in successful group work showed higher levels of germane cognitive load, which contributes to learning, and also earned higher scores on the final research paper for the course. Implications of this study highlight the need for synchronous collaborative writing to be used as a way of sharing ideas and knowledge to produce higher levels of individual understanding and quality writing.