Scripted collaborative drawing in elementary education : the role of working preference

This study investigated the effects of scripting and working preference on collaborative drawing in elementary education. It was hypothesized that the use of a script and grouping by working preference enhances discourse quality, equal distribution of discourse, drawing quality and knowledge acquisition. This quasi-experimental field study included 88 students in four different classes who worked collaboratively on a drawing assignment. The instructional goal was to develop a joint drawing, that completely explained the process of photosynthesis. This collaborative drawing assignment was expected to go together with a high-quality discourse and should eventually lead to knowledge acquisition. According to data of a working preferences-questionnaire, the students were grouped into dyads by either positive working preference or negative working preference. Each class was subscribed to one of the two conditions: the scripted or the non-scripted condition. The findings indicate that students in the scripted condition show a more equal distribution of their discourse and higher levels of knowledge acquisition. In addition, students and dyads in the non-scripted condition show a higher discourse quality and drawing quality. The results indicate a relation between discourse and drawing quality. The findings concerning working preference differences indicate a higher drawing quality for the students grouped by positive working preference.