PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) Speeches /Conference Papers (150)

The effects of persistence on students ' ability to interact and learn in cooperative learning groups was studied, and the effect of collaboration on stiments ' attitudes toward their partners was assessed. Participants were 138 sixth graders in a midwestern public school. A computer-based lesson and posttest dealt with the advertising concepts of bandwagon, uniqueness, testimonial, and transfer. Persistence was assessed by measuring the number of options students selected in the lesson. Students completed the lesson alone and in cooperative groups. Results suggest that, although persistence did not affect achievement in this study, it did influence the amount and nature of interaction in groups. Average persisters interacted more frequently than did high or low persisters, possibly because they are more able, and less apprehensive about verbal interaction than other students. Averag