Gender heterogeneous groups in cooperative learning applied in "robots in creative course": A pilot study

Abstract

Cooperative learning is often adopted as a teaching strategy when robots are introduced into the classroom. Previous research suggested that there was a relative correlation between a group's level of interaction and its gender composition. In this study, we utilized experimental design to explore the degree of satisfaction and involvement when students learning with "robots in creative course" in terms of its varied gender composition (male group, female group, gender-mixed group). Analysis of the questionnaire results demonstrates that the gender-mixed group and male group claim higher degrees of satisfaction and involvement of "robots in creative course" than the female group. The instruction suggests and recommendations for future research are made. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.