The Effects of Group Composition on Achievement and Time on Task for Students Completing ILS Activities in Cooperative Pairs

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of group composition on student achievement, time on task, and group interactions when completing integrated learning system (ILS) activities in cooperative pairs. Students were paired either homogeneously or heterogeneously based on ability and asked to complete math activities delivered by an ILS. Results of this study did not find any significant academic achievement differences between students based on cooperative-group structure. However, analysis of observational data determined that students designated as low ability were engaged in the ILS activities for a significantly longer percentage of time when they were paired with high-ability students (i.e., heterogeneously) than when they were paired with students of similar ability (i.e., homogeneously). In addition, high-ability students paired homogeneously were engaged in the ILS activities for a significantly longer percentage of time than their low-ability peers who were paired in a similar fashion.