Balancing Collaboration and Cognitive Load to Optimize Individual and Group Desirable Difficulties

We sought to identify factors that optimize individual learning in complex, technology-enhanced learning environments. Undergraduates viewed tutorials and played a simulation-based game either alone or in groups and in either high or low cognitive load sequences and later took tests measuring comprehension of tutorials and transfer of computer networking skills. A cognitive load by collaboration interaction was found for both immediate and delayed transfer measures, but not comprehension measures. Students working in groups performed best under high cognitive load whereas students working individually performed best under low cognitive load. These findings support the notions of optimal individual and group cognitive load and have implications for leveraging technology to design learning environments that allow students to collaborate and maximize individual learning.