Exploring behavioural patterns of virtual manipulatives supported collaborative inquiry learning: Effect of device‐student ratios and external scripts

Abstract Background Virtual manipulatives (VMs) are increasingly adopted in inquiry activities. However, the effects of the ratio of mobile device‐based VMs to students and external scripts (a guiding structure for prompting group process) provision on group interaction has not been detailed. Objectives This study proposed four different technology affordance conditions for collaborative inquiry learning: 1:1 device‐student ratio (one tablet per student) with external scripts, 1:m ratio (one tablet per group) with external scripts, 1:1 ratio without external scripts, and 1:m ratio without external scripts. The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of technology affordances on group behavioural patterns during collaborative inquiry learning. Methods The research participants were 21 fifth‐grade students from 4 classes (totalling 130 students) in a public elementary school. Students' collaborative inquiry behavioural patterns were video‐recorded during three themed inquiry activities. To identify the behavioural patterns of groups, this study developed an action‐oriented coding scheme for collaborative inquiry learning emphasizing and coded student actions during cooperation. Through lag sequential analysis and dialog content analysis, the behavioural transition modes of groups were obtained. Results The results show that device‐student ratios and external scripts affect behavioural patterns through resource coordination, information interaction, collaborative atmosphere, and task awareness. Implications In mobile device‐support collaborative inquiry learning, the 1:m device‐student ratio yielded more exchanges to test and apply new constructions than that of the 1:1 ratio. External scripts were more applicable to the 1:m condition than to the 1:1 condition.