Gender, Group Composition, and Peer Interaction in Computer-Based Cooperative Learning

Abstract

This study investigated the patterns of peer interaction among students working cooperatively in small groups on a computer-based problem-solving task and examined the effects of student gender and group composition on peer interaction in such a situation. Sixty-four students (32 females, 32 males) were randomly assigned to four-person groups: same-gender, majority-female, equal-ratio, and majority-male groups. The results of the analyses showed that students' interactions were primarily task-related, collaborative, and positive and that female and male students had significantly different experiences across groups of varied gender composition in regard to the specific categories of interaction as well as the total interaction. The implications of these results for computer-based small group work were discussed.