We compared the speed and quality of performance for familiar, initially unfamiliar but continuing, and one‐shot (single session) teams. We also proposed and observed entrainment effects for task time limits. Over the course of weekly sessions with changing tasks, continuing teams reached speed levels of the initially familiar teams, but the one‐shot teams were consistently slower. Continuing teams also tended to have higher‐quality output than the one‐shot teams. There were no differences in how quickly each type of group entrained to time limits on the tasks. Entrainment was not robust to task discontinuity (Task A, then B). However, entrainment on repeated trials of a task persisted even when a different type of task “interrupted” those repeated trials (Task A, then B, then A again). Results compel a richer incorporation of time as a medium for complex task sequences, and time‐based constructs as a feature of team membership in the study of group effectiveness.

Four-person groups and 4 independent individuals solved rule induction problems under 4 levels of potential information. Groups performed at the level of the 2nd-best individuals for correct hypotheses (recognition of truth) and at the level of the best individuals for nonplausible hypotheses (rejection of error). Groups, the best individuals, and the 2nd-best individuals performed better with increasing potential information, but the 3rd-best and 4th-best individuals did not. Competitive tests of social combination models indicated that the groups resolved the increasing disagreement with increasing potential information by decreasing voting, increasing turn taking, and increasing their proportions of emergent group hypotheses (very few of which were correct). Experiment 2 used 5 arrays of hypotheses and evidence and allowed more time. Groups performed at the level of the best individuals for both correct and nonplausible hypotheses.I can conclude the review with a note on the major type of integration that is needed at both empirical and theoretical levels: research is needed to investigate the relationships between information pooling and accuracy. In the empirical literature the most glaring omission we found was the lack of research on group accuracy under conditions in which nonredundant sources of informa-

No abstract

This study investigated the types of questions that are asked in lst-grade addition and subtraction lessons in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. Some researchers have argued that knowledge is, in part, constructed through questions and that these may be used differently in U.S. than in Asian classrooms. Thus, each question about addition or subtraction in 311 observed lessons was coded as 1 of 6 types of questions. Analyses revealed that the Asian teachers asked significantly more questions about conceptual knowledge and about problem-solving strategies than did U.S. teachers. In addition, Chinese teachers asked significantly more questions that were embedded in a concrete context than did U.S. teachers. These findings allow speculation that the kinds of questions typically asked in Japanese and Chinese classrooms may contribute to the construction of more sophisticated mathematical knowledge for the children in those classrooms.

Journal of the Learning SciencesPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: