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This article reports the results of a study conducted to examine the use of small group learning strategies in an online college course. The study examined the effect of four types of positive interdependence and the affiliation motive on learning and attitude in an asynchronous, collaborative learning environment. Results indicated no significant differences in achievement by type of interdependence, or by affiliation motive. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation, indicating that participants with higher numbers of interactions attained higher posttest scores. Participants in reward groups had significantly higher agreement with several attitude statements that reflected benefit from working with others and being able to generate better ideas in groups. Furthermore, participants in all three types of structured interdependence, compared to groups with no interdependence, had significantly higher agreement with being able to learn more because team members knew it was their job to contribute to the group work. In addition, participants with high affiliation motive had significantly higher agreement with several attitude statements. Groups with no structured interdependence had the most cognitive interactions, role groups had the most group processing, and reward groups were most off task. Implications for integrating small groups in computer-mediated learning environments are discussed.

Forty years ago, Robert Gagne published the first edition of his book The Conditions of Learning (1965) in which he proposed nine events of instruction that provide a sequence for organizing a lesson. These events remain the foundation of current instructional design practice (Reiser, 2002; Richey, 2000). They represent desirable conditions in an instructional program and increase the probability of successful learner achievement in the program (Gagne, 1965, 1985, 1988; Gagne, Briggs & Wager, 1992). Other authors cite similar elements of instruction that promote student learning from an instructional program (Dick & Carey, 1996; Sullivan & Higgins, 1983).

This study examines the effect of cooperative versus individual learning strategies and the need for affiliation on achievement, attitude, and student interactions when receiving instructional television lessons. Subjects (n=126) were undergraduate education majors enrolled in a required course in educational psychology. Subjects classified as high or low affiliation used either a cooperative or individual learning strategy while receiving instruction from a television lesson. Study participants completed a need for affiliation scale, viewed an instructional television program on objectives-based assessment, answered questions for practice and read feedback sections in a workbook, and took a posttest following the program. The television lesson was designed following a competency-based approach and included objectives, information, examples, practice, feedback, and review. Results include: (1) there was no significant difference between subjects who used cooperative and individual learning strategies when overall achievement and application were tested; (2) subjects who worked alone performed significantly better on the knowledge portion of the posttest than those who worked cooperatively; (3) the need for affiliation was related to attitude toward future learning activities; and (4) the need for affiliation was related to student interaction behaviors. Study results indicate that cooperative learning does not always increase learning from instructional television that has been systematically designed. (Contains 24 references.) (SWC)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using individual, cooperative-dyad, and collaborative-dyad learning structures with a computer simulation. College students implemented and experienced one of the three learning structures while using a computer simulation designed to teach the technical and procedural aspects of accounting. Results indicated that performance scores were high, and time on task similar, regardless of learning structure; however, students who worked alone expressed significantly more continuing motivation for their learning structure than students who worked with a partner. Responses to student interviews revealed somewhat mixed feelings for the small group structures. More than 60% of the student overall commented that they would enjoy working with a partner, but less than 50% said they thought they would learn more with a partner. Observation of the small groups indicated that students in the cooperative dyads exhibited significantly more discussion and provided more answers to their partners' questions than students in the collaborative dyads. Implications for implementing small group structures with computer-based instruction are provided, and two tables summarize student responses. (Contains 25 references.) (Author/SWC)

The effects of orienting activities and practice on performance and student behaviors in a cooperative learning environment were studied with 80 graduate education majors in an educational psychology course. A 2 x 2 factorial design was used, with orienting activity (advance organizer versus objectives) and type of practice (verbal information versus intellectual skill) as the independent variables. Dependent variables were achievement and student behaviors. Students in the treatment groups (combinations of organizers and practice) received instructional television lessons with workbook activities. Helping and on-task individual and group behaviors were observed. The type of practice had a significant effect on performance, with those receiving skills practice performing better than those receiving information practice. Practice alone did not influence knowledge acquisition, but it was influenced by a combination of practice and orienting activity, with students receiving information practice and objectives outperforming all subjects on the knowledge section of the posttest. Orienting activity and type of practice also influenced student behaviors. Implications for instructional technologists are discussed. (Contains 15 references.) (SLD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cooperative learning and type of reward on performance and continuing motivation. Subjects used either a cooperative or individual learning strategy while receiving information, examples, practice, and feedback from an instructional television lesson. Subjects (126 undergraduate education majors) were also provided with one of the three rewards (i.e., task, performance, none). Results indicated that subjects who worked alone performed better on the posttest and expressed more continuing motivation than those who worked cooperatively. Type of reward did not affect performance or continuing motivation. Implications for reemploying cooperative groups in settings that were originally designed for individual learning are provided. Two tables containing performance and motivation test score data are appended. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/KRN)

This article reports on a case study conducted to examine the instructional strategies utilized, teacher and student attitudes, and student achievement when a sixth-grade teacher and her 19 students implemented a hypermedia, problem-based learning unit. Results revealed that the teacher used questioning, peer support, group and individual feedback, and structured management as primary instructional strategies. Overall the teacher's attitudes were positive, although she expressed frustration at not having enough time to complete every activity. While the teacher was not completely satisfied with students' performance, student achievement was generally average, and their attitudes were generally positive. Findings suggest it may be possible for designers of problem-based environments to support teachers' efforts through over integration of questioning, collaboration, feedback, and management strategies within the instructor materials. These strategies represent effective instructional practice, and using them within the context of problem-based environments may potentially lead to greater teacher satisfaction and student achievement.

A study sponsored by the Bureau of Adult and Community Education, Florida Department of Education, was conducted by the Center for Needs Assessment and Planning at Florida State University to compare the success of General Educational Development (GED) and traditional high school graduates at Florida's community colleges. Registrars at each of Florida's 28 community colleges were asked to complete a survey designed to gather information concerning students with a GED and those with traditional diplomas. Ten registrars responded to the survey, although they indicated that such data are difficult to obtain. The study found that students with a traditional high school diploma greatly outnumber those with a GED at community colleges in Florida, although all of the registrars indicated that their colleges had an open-door policy for any high school graduate or holder of an equivalent diploma. GED and traditional high school graduates who are admitted spend about the same amount of time to complete degree programs at Florida's community colleges, but the proportion of GED holders actually completing degree programs is smaller than that of traditional diploma holders. The study also found that traditional high school graduates had a slightly higher grade point average (GPA) than GED holders, but that both GPAs fell in the "C" grade range. The study concluded that the results should help to dispel misconceptions held by educators concerning the capabilities of the GED holder in higher education. (KC)

Describes a study that investigated the effects of search tools and learner cognitive styles on performance in searches for information within a hypermedia database. Students in a university English-as-a-Second-Language program were assigned to one of four treatment groups, and results show a significant interaction between search tool and cognitive style. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of learner control in computer-assisted instructional simulations focuses on an experiment conducted with undergraduate students that compared three different treatments for instructional control in an aircraft simulator. Topics addressed include performance on immediate and delayed posttests; practice; student attitudes; effects of instructional control on challenge; and effects of task complexity. (25 references) (LRW)

Describes a study that was conducted to investigate the effect of cooperative learning and the need for affiliation on performance, time on task, and satisfaction of undergraduates using an instructional television lesson. Individual measures are described, cooperative versus individual learning strategies are compared, and future research is suggested. (20 references) (LRW)