Abstract

In this study about group working and learning, the quality of essay-questions produced in different educational executions in the higher education context was investigated. A comparative experiment design in the Finnish Veterinary Program in the framework of developmental psychology and social learning theory was established. Essay-questions produced by single students and student-student pairs were compared after student-teacher interaction using a Piagetian- type developmental scheme, SOLO-taxonomy, and differentiated by simple statistics methods. Also the quality of questions before the teachers’ guidance was evaluated in pair situations. Significant (p<0.05) differences between single students and pairs were observed and the quality of questions was homogenized when the students worked together. The students had also two different approaches to question production (cooperative or collaborative), which can mean different learning outcomes. However, the correlation between these approaches, learning styles and outcomes were not investigated in this study, but maybe it will be in some future study.