Scaffolding of small groups’ metacognitive activities with an avatar

Inge MOLENAAR, Ming Ming CHIU, Peter SLEEGERS, Carla van BOXTEL

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Metacognitive scaffolding in a computer-supported learning environment can influence students' metacognitive activities, metacognitive knowledge and domain knowledge. In this study we analyze how metacognitive activities mediate the relationships between different avatar scaffolds on students' learning. Multivariate, multilevel analysis of the 51,339 conversation turns by 54 elementary school students working in triads showed that scaffolding has an effect on students' learning. Students receiving structuring or problematizing metacognitive scaffolds displayed more metacognitive knowledge than students in the control group. Metacognitive activities mediated the effects of scaffolding, and increased metacognitive activities supported students' metacognitive knowledge. Moreover, students who were engaged in proportionately more cognitive activities or fewer off-task activities also outperformed other students on the metacognitive knowledge test. Only problematizing scaffolds led to more domain knowledge and metacognitive activities mediated the effects of the problematizing scaffolds. Moreover, students in the problematizing condition who engaged in more cognitive activities or whose group mates used more relational activities had greater domain knowledge acquisition than other students. Copyright © 2011 The Author(s).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)601-624
JournalInternational Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning
Volume6
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2011

Citation

Molenaar, I., Chiu, M. M., Sleegers, P., & Boxtel, C. v. (2011). Scaffolding of small groups’ metacognitive activities with an avatar. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 6(4), 601-624.

Keywords

  • Scaffolding
  • Metacognition
  • Embodied agents
  • Elementary education

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