Seyed Mosa Tabatabaee, Mojtaba Rajabpour, Fereshteh Abdoos, Aliakbar Malekirad and Fatemeh Samadi
This study aimed to compare the individual and collaborative learning of worked out examples in terms of impacts on cognitive load and transference of problem solving. To meet the aim, an experimental design with pretest-posttest and control group was used. Participants were 40 students in third grade from a guidance school. They were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (each group included 20 students). One group studied the worked out example (Thales theorem as seen in textbook of 3rd grade of guidance school) individually and the other group collaboratively. Cognitive load Measurement Scale and Transfer-test tasks were used for measuring variables. Finally, data were analyzed using independent sample T-test. Statistical analyses indicated that mean of transference scores of collaborative group was significantly higher than individual group, but mean of cognitive load in collaborative group was significantly lower than individual group. Results of the current study were consistent with Cognitive load theorem. It confirmed that some transitional activities such as negotiation are useful for learning and should be increased but some transitional activities like ways of discussion are harmful.
