Collaborative Interactions of Normal Children and Children with Learning Difficulties (LD) in a Mediated Computer Pre School Classroom: A Pilot Study

A pilot study was conducted to examine the collaborative interactions of children in a mediated computer-learning classroom. This study was also designed to compare the verbal and physical interactions (collaborative interactions) of normal dyads and a mix of normal - LD dyads. 225 preschool children, ranging in age of pre-testing from 5 years 10 months to 6 years 3 months were placed into either normal dyads (collaborative groups) or mixed of normal - LD dyads (non-collaborative groups) and worked on a computer presentation of a storytelling task. The main finding of this pilot study was that the children s verbal interactions (collaborative interactions) and manipulation of the physical materials were mediated by the mode of presentation. There were no significant differences between groups of dyads in the paper presentation of the task among normal dyads. However, in the mixed of normal - LD dyads, normal children dominated both the amount and type of verbal interaction (collaborative-interaction) and the control of the activities on the computer screen. Results were interpreted in terms of processes of social comparison, which appear to be more potent in this situation than any straight forward domination of resources