This research investigates how learning groups affect student learning from two perspectives: first, the amount of group work students do, and second, the role that they take within the group. It is not clear from the current research how a student’s role in collaborative learning affects his/her development of critical thinking and the construction of knowledge. The present study looks into whether the positive relationships found between collaboration and germane cognitive load are affected by a learner’s role within the group. Using cognitive load theory, this study analyzed survey responses from a group of university students (n = 1399) who engaged in collaborative study groups when taking online classes in South Korea. While it was found that the amount of collaboration a student engaged in positively affected levels of germane load and that their level of contribution negatively moderated that relationship. In other words, while more group work is beneficial, students who contribute less to the group have greater gains from higher levels of collaboration than students who take a more active role.

这项研究从两个角度研究了学习小组如何影响学生的学习：首先是学生从事的小组工作量，其次是他们在小组中所扮演的角色。从目前的研究尚不清楚，学生在协作学习中的作用如何影响他/她的批判性思维和知识建构。本研究调查了协作和德耳曼认知负荷之间发现的正向关系是否受学习者在小组中的作用的影响。本研究使用认知负荷理论，分析了一组在韩国参加在线课程时参加协作学习小组的大学生（n = 1399）的调查回答。虽然发现学生从事合作的数量对德国人的负担有积极影响，而他们的贡献对这种关系有负面影响。换句话说，虽然更多的小组工作是有益的，但对小组贡献较少的学生比起更积极的角色的学生从更高水平的合作中获得更大的收益。