An investigation of cooperative work with a computer program by Year 3 children

This study investigates the social interactions occurring between pairs o f Year 3 children within a LogoWriter computing environment. Two projects were undertaken. In Study, A eight children working in pairs for 10 half-hour sessions over ten weeks were given diagrams o f actual LogoWriter printouts with brief written instructions to reproduce on the screen using LogoW riter commands. These children had already had eleven weeks o f working together with their partner on LogoWriter. It was anticipated that the children would reveal what they were thinking as they performed the tasks. This did not happen, so Study B was undertaken. In Study B four children without any prior knowledge o f LogoW riter worked in pairs for 10 half-hour sessions over ten consecutive school days. They were given written instructions for projects to be constructed on the screen using LogoWriter commands. Also the teacher/investigator involved herself by asking prespecified questions in an attempt to have the children verbalise their thinking as they performed the tasks. Single sex pairs were used in both studies. All sessions in both studies were recorded on videotape amounting to 30 hours o f videotape. The videotapes were transcribed and the interactions were coded for task performance, seating position, keyboard control, verbal conflict, physical conflict, proportion o f exchanges, planning, computer input, discussion of LogoWriter, pleasure statements, "fooling around", asides, expressions o f camera awareness, awareness o f time, interactions with other classmates and interruptions. The pairs o f students in each o f the studies were compared with the other pair(s) in that study. Results revealed very different partnerships in each o f the studies. In Study A the social context that the pairs established with each other had much more influence on the performance of the task than their prior level o f academic achievement. The qualities o f social