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From autonomy to agency: How Scaffolded Choice and communication modality shape collaborative video learning
Guohua Wang1, Zexuan Liu1, Xueru Xing1
1School of Educational Technology, Faculty of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China.
Acta Psychologica
|July 20, 2026
Summary
Learners benefit more from assigned partners in collaborative video learning when they receive guidance on partner selection. Voice communication enhances learning transfer more than text, especially for complex tasks.
Area of Science:
- Educational Technology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Collaborative Learning
Background:
- Partner choice is often used to promote learner autonomy in synchronous collaborative video learning.
- However, the impact of partner selection methods on actual learning outcomes requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how partner selection methods (self-selected vs. assigned) and communication modalities (voice vs. text) influence collaborative video learning outcomes.
- To explore the mediating role of partner proficiency and subjective experiences in the relationship between selection method and learning.
Main Methods:
- A 2x2 between-subjects experiment involving 136 university students.
- Comparison of self-selected vs. assigned partners and voice-based vs. text-based communication.
- Assessment using retention and transfer tests, self-report measures, and interaction analysis.
Main Results:
- Self-selected partners led to more positive subjective experiences (affect, motivation, effort) but not directly improved learning outcomes.
- Indirect learning gains (retention, transfer) were observed through realized partner proficiency, with self-selected learners more likely to pair with higher-proficiency partners.
- Voice communication significantly improved transfer performance and perceived mental effort compared to text communication, suggesting better knowledge externalization and feedback exchange.
Conclusions:
- Autonomy-supportive designs in collaborative learning require scaffolding to ensure learners make educationally beneficial choices.
- The proposed 'Scaffolded Choice' hypothesis suggests proficiency cues can help learners select advantageous partners, translating autonomy into learning.
- Voice communication appears particularly effective for transfer-oriented collaborative learning tasks.
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