Social and communicative processes in computer-based problem solving

Examined the effects of collaborative modes of computer use on children's performance and learning, using a problem-solving task, couched within an adventure game format. Study 1, with 39 11-yr-old children, showed how Ss who worked in pairs on a route planning task had better learning outcomes than Ss who worked on the same problem individually. Study 2, with 66 children (aged 11-12 yrs), extended this consideration to identify those aspects of verbal interaction that underpin productive paired interaction. Study 3, with 120 children (aged 11-22 yrs), included consideration of the efficacy of pairing as a function of the relative ability of pair members. Study 4, with 32 children, focused on the effects of working in the presence of others, even in the absence of interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).