Using Differences to Make a Difference: A Study in Heterogeneity of Learning Groups

Sven Manske (1) , Tobias Hecking (1) , Ulrich Hoppe (2) , Irene-Angelica Chounta (1) , Sören Werneburg (3)

1 Universität Duisburg-Essen [Essen]
2 Institut für Informatik und interaktive Systeme
3 Otto-Hahn Gymnasium

There is an increasing interest in student-centered teaching methods with small group learning as an important ingredient. In this paper, we present a study in which the performance of heterogeneous and homogeneous learning groups has been compared in a technology-enhanced classroom setting in the area of STEM learning. The group formation was based on learning analytics results that were considered in a semi-automatic formation process. The analytic methods used incorporated different artefact-related characteristics, but also motivational features as input. We observed that the heterogeneous groups outperformed the homogeneous ones in different ways. The results of the study are analysed using quantitative and qualitative approaches on both the individual and the group level.

Keywords: Heterogeneity; Learning Groups; group learning; inquiry-based learning; online experimentation

Domains: Education

Sven Manske, Tobias Hecking, Ulrich Hoppe, Irene-Angelica Chounta, Sören Werneburg. Using Differences to Make a Difference: A Study in Heterogeneity of Learning Groups. 11th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2015), Jun 2015, Gothenburg, Sweden. ⟨hal-01206688⟩