C. Kneser et R. Ploetzner, Collaboration on the basis of complementary domain knowledge: observed dialogue structures and their relation to learning success, LEARN INSTR, 11(1), 2001, pp. 53-83
We present an analysis of dialogues produced in an experimental study on co
llaborative learning. In the study, tenth graders were first taught either
qualitative or quantitative knowledge of classical mechanics. Afterwards, d
yads of students who had been taught different knowledge collaboratively wo
rked on problems which were beyond the competence of each student, Qualitat
ively instructed students gained significantly more from the information pr
ovided by their quantitatively instructed partners than the other way round
. Analyses of the dialogues produced by the students revealed that successf
ully learning dyads were characterised by coherent dialogue structures and
that students who learned most during the collaboration frequently assumed
the role of a reflector. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
.