The effects of task structure on group process and quality of group product in a cooperative project-based learning environment

This study was to examine the effects of structured and ill-structured problem tasks on group interaction process, as well as the group product, and also the effects of group interaction process on the group product in a cooperative, project-based learning environment. Thirty-six college students enrolled in an educational technology course formed twelve three-person groups, which were randomly assigned to structured and ill-structured task conditions. The structured task groups worked on a software evaluation project task with a clear procedural guidance. The ill-structured task groups were assigned with the same project task without the guidance. The interaction process includes two variables: group positive interdependence which was measured with a self-reporting questionnaire, and group interaction process, which was recorded in audio/video tapes and analyzed with a metacognitive/cognitive problem solving discourse framework. The group product refers to the quality of students' group report about the educational software title they were evaluating. The group reports were scored with a five-dimension rubrics based on the authentic analytic approach.; In the effects of task structure, the structured groups were found to have a higher mean frequency of metacognitive discourse than the ill-structured groups, but there were no significant results between the two task conditions in group positive interdependence and group product. As for the effects of group process upon the group product, frequencies of metacognitive discourse together with metacognitive discourse categories, analyzing and planning, were positively associated with group product. No significant relationship was found between group positive interdependence and group product. When the effects of group process on group product were analyzed for each task condition separately, the effects was more obvious in the ill-structured groups than in the structured groups. Additionally, equal participation among group members was found to be important to the group product, too. It was concluded that the task itself is an important factor in a cooperative project-based learning environment; the quality instead of the quantity of group interaction discourse facilitates group performance; and different types of discourse, metacognitive and cognitive, as well as equal participation among group members need to maintain a balance for groups to successfully accomplish their tasks.