Contrasting Explicit and Implicit Support for Transactive Exchange in Team Oriented Project Based Learning

Abstract

Script based support for collaborative learning may employ either explicit or implicit scaffolding. If the effect of script based support is mainly by means of its effect on collaborative processes, it would be reasonable to expect that if two forms of support manipulate the same process variable, they would provide redundant rather than synergistic effects when offered together. However, explicit forms of scaffolding may provide additional benefits from the reification of the processes that they provide, which could be received as instruction. This paper contributes to research on dynamic support for collaborative learning by proposing a novel form of micro-level prompt designed to elevate the amount of Transactive exchange. In a 2×2 factorial design, we measure the impact of this explicit form of scaffolding and an implicit form of support for Transactive exchange developed in prior work, alone and in combination in terms of impact on two key outcomes, namely collaborative product quality and acquisition of multi-perspective knowledge. In this study, the pair of manipulations provide synergistic support for group product quality, but only the explicit support contributes to acquisition of multi-perspective knowledge.