Heterogeneous groups show greater learning achievements than homogeneous groups, most pronounced for students with little prior knowledge¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Students' learning achievements were greater in heterogeneous than homogeneous groups, with the benefit concentrated among students with relatively little prior knowledge; for high prior knowledge students no difference was found. → Jeroen Janssen 2020

Evidence¶

Jeroen Janssen 2020¶

Jeroen Janssen, Paul A. Kirschner. (2020). Applying collaborative cognitive load theory to computer-supported collaborative learning: towards a research agenda. Education Tech Research Dev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09729-5

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

The article reports, citing Zhang et al. (2016), that heterogeneous groups outperformed homogeneous groups on learning achievement, with the benefit for low prior knowledge students and no difference for high prior knowledge students; no effect size is printed.

"In heterogeneous groups, students' learning achievements were greater than in homogeneous groups. However, Zhang et. al. also demonstrated that prior knowledge as a student characteristics plays a role here: for students with little prior knowledge heterogeneous groups were most beneficial, whereas for students with high prior knowledge no difference was found between working in homogeneous or heterogeneous groups."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Prior Knowledge — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it

Related Claims¶

• Students in homogeneous prior-knowledge groups made greater learning gains and showed more distributed collaboration than heterogeneous groups — reports the opposite
• Heterogeneously grouped teams show more benefits than homogeneously formed teams — a broader claim this one bears on
• Homogeneous grouping for reading instruction and heterogeneous grouping for discussion groups each serve distinct purposes — related
• Homogeneous CS-major groups reported higher CPSE in collaborative programming than homogeneous non-CS and heterogeneous groups, with no significant difference between the latter two — related
• Participants with very little prior experience with Deaf communities reported greater post-intervention gains — a narrower finding that bears on this claim