The Role of Individual Differences in the Cooperative Learning of Technical Material

Individual differences in the recall of procedural and structural/functional information was investigated in situations in which students studied in dyads or alone. Three hundred undergraduates completed a series of nine individual difference measures and learned a four-step study strategy. They then studied passages that included both structural/functional and procedural material either in a dyad or alone. They completed a free-recall test of the material 2 days later. Induction ability was found to be significantly predictive of the dyadic recall of structural/functional material. Social orientation was negatively related to the recall of procedural material for those who studied individually. Furthermore, those who studied in dyads recalled significantly more than did those who studied alone. Theoretical implications and practical applications of the results are discussed.