Collaborative Load
By Clark Quinn
An article co-authored by psychologist and learning scientist, Paul Kirschner, proposes that working together has some significant cognitive load advantages. While he’s talking about learning in schools, there’s a direct relationship with informal learning that’s worth elaborating. We can take advantage of this to solve new problems, which is one of the roles of informal learning.
The goal of the paper is to reconcile when learning alone makes sense, in relationship to learning together. There are times when each has its utility, and using the cognitive load framework of John Sweller, there’s a theoretical argument made about when to use each. Cognitive Load theory suggests that tasks have innate resource requirements, and that we as learners have limited cognitive resources. Thus, unnecessary additional load can interfere with effective learning. Our goal as instructors, then, is to ensure that the cognitive load at a particular learning point isn’t overwhelming.
The paper argues that when the cognitive load is manageable, it makes sense to learn on one’s own. When, however, the task is complex, it makes sense to apply more intellectual horsepower.
Dividing the processing of information across individuals is useful when the cognitive load is high because it allows information to be divided across a larger reservoir of cognitive capacity.
Learning, in this instance, comes from negotiating a shared understanding across more interpretations. The paper does argue that the information needs to be recombined and processed, but argues that this activity has relatively low resource requirements. This is to ensure that all have equally learned, despite any differentiation of tasks.
In work situations, however, there’s more. In learning situations, all learners are expected to share roughly the same prerequisite knowledge. Not so for the work situations, so further advantage can come from bringing in diverse capabilities. Not only is there a larger reservoir of capability, but also a greater spread of competencies. This is the benefit of diversity in teams, as well as drawing upon complementary talents.
There also isn’t necessarily a need for learning, as long as the task is accomplished. However, there’s a benefit of sharing that raises the awareness across the organization, the hallmark of a true ‘learning organization’.
The take-away is that having folks work together, at least on problems to which there aren’t known answers, likely will benefit from assigning several people to it. This is further advanced when all the associated skill sets are included. Understanding when and how to approach problems is a way L&D can (and should) facilitate informal organizational learning as well as formal learning.
REFERENCES
Kirschner, F., Paas, F., & Kirschner, P. A. (2009). A cognitive-load approach to collaborative learning: United brains for complex tasks. Educational Psychology Review, 21, 31-42.
Sweller, J (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science. 12(2): 257–285.