From autonomy to agency: How Scaffolded Choice and communication modality shape collaborative video learning

Partner choice is frequently used to support learner autonomy in camera-on synchronous collaborative video learning, yet its contribution to learning outcomes remains unclear. This study examined how partner selection method and communication modality shape collaborative video learning among 136 university students. A 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment compared self-selected versus assigned partners and voice-based versus text-based communication. Retention and transfer tests, self-report measures, and interaction-behaviour analyses revealed a divergence between learners' subjective experiences and learning performance. Self-selection was associated with a more favourable subjective profile, including more positive affect, higher intrinsic motivation, and lower perceived mental effort, although evidence for these differences was not statistically robust and they were not accompanied by direct gains in retention or transfer. Model-based mediation analyses indicated significant indirect pathways for retention and transfer through realised partner proficiency: self-selected learners showed a higher probability of being paired with a relatively higher-proficiency partner, and realised partner proficiency was in turn associated with better retention and transfer. Communication modality, by contrast, showed more consistent associations with learning performance. Voice-based interaction was associated with markedly higher transfer performance and greater perceived mental effort than text-based interaction, with weaker evidence for a retention advantage. Process analyses suggested that voice communication supported more immediate knowledge externalisation, feedback exchange, and interactional repair during collaboration. These findings suggest that autonomy-supportive design does not necessarily produce learning benefits unless learners are supported in making educationally advantageous choices. We therefore propose Scaffolded Choice as a design hypothesis whereby proficiency cues may help learners identify educationally advantageous partners and, in doing so, potentially translate autonomy into learning-relevant agency. Voice communication may be particularly useful for transfer-oriented collaborative learning tasks.