Effects of Scripted Cooperation and Knowledge Maps on the Processing of Technical Material

This study replicates and extends prior investigations of scripted cooperation and knowledge maps by examining (a) their independent and interactive effects on procedural knowledge acquisition and (b) the transfer of these effects to individual learning. One hundred four subjects, randomly assigned to knowledge map/dyad, knowledge map/individual, text/dyad, and text/individual conditions, studied two acquisition procedures in the experimental conditions and a transfer-text procedure in an individual, unscripted manner. Subjects completed delayed free-recall tests over each procedure. During acquisition, knowledge maps had positive effects on recall of main and intermediate ideas. There were no significant treatment effects on transfer recall. The instrumental uses and limitations of knowledge maps are discussed.