Learning From Errors in Simulations: How Individual Error Responses Shape Collaborative Problem‐Solving Skills.

Background: In collaborative problem‐solving (CPS), individual errors such as failing to share relevant information are common. These moments can hinder performance, but if learners engage with them productively, they may offer powerful learning opportunities. Simulation‐based learning environments...

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Publicado en:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 1 - 21
Autores principales: Richters, Constanze, Stadler, Matthias, Braun, Leah, Fischer, Martin R., Heitzmann, Nicole
Formato: forms research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Jun2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      jtl: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
      issn: 02664909
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      dt: Jun2026
      vid: 42
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1002/jcal.70251
        194050895
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        atl: Learning From Errors in Simulations: How Individual Error Responses Shape Collaborative Problem‐Solving Skills.
      aug:
        au:
          Richters, Constanze
          Stadler, Matthias
          Braun, Leah
          Fischer, Martin R.
          Heitzmann, Nicole
        affil: Institute of Medical Education, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
      sug:
        subj:
          Simulations
          Problem Solving Education
          Collaboration
          Students, Medical
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Cognition
          Skill Acquisition
          Motivation
          Learning Methods
          Human
          Funding Source
          Student Attitudes
          Diagnostic Reasoning Education
          Radiologists
          Student Knowledge
          Learning Environment
          Questionnaires
          Inferential Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Power Analysis
          Computer-Assisted Instruction
          Feedback
      ab: Background: In collaborative problem‐solving (CPS), individual errors such as failing to share relevant information are common. These moments can hinder performance, but if learners engage with them productively, they may offer powerful learning opportunities. Simulation‐based learning environments provide safe opportunities to engage with errors; however, it remains unclear how individual learners respond to their own errors during collaboration and how such responses relate to the development of CPS skills. Objectives: This study examines how students respond to individual errors in simulation‐based CPS tasks (elaborating vs. ignoring), how these responses are shaped by individual cognitive and motivational‐affective prerequisites, and whether they contribute to CPS skill development. Methods: A total of 194 medical students worked on five collaborative diagnostic reasoning tasks with an agent‐based radiologist. Students' responses to their errors in collaborating with the agent were logged and categorised as either elaborating on or ignoring errors. We analysed how these responses changed across tasks, how they related to individual differences in prior knowledge, cognitive ability and motivational‐affective factors, and whether they predicted CPS skill development. Results and Conclusions: Elaborating on errors was associated with improved information sharing and, initially, better task performance, but this effect diminished across tasks. Cognitive ability consistently predicted reduced error ignoring, while prior knowledge and motivational‐affective factors showed weaker effects. The findings highlight the importance of simulation designs that sustain engagement with errors and adapt to individual learner profiles as a pathway to CPS skill development. Summary What is currently known about this topic? ○Collaborative problem solving (CPS) integrates reasoning, coordination, and information sharing.○Individual errors, such as insufficient information sharing, are common in CPS tasks.○Simulations provide structured opportunities to explore and learn from such errors.○Productive engagement with errors in individual problem solving, such as elaboration, is shaped by learners' cognitive and motivational‐affective prerequisites.What does this paper add? ○Students increasingly ignore individual errors across simulation‐based CPS tasks, contributing to the under‐researched collaborative perspective on learning from errors.○Elaborating on errors can support information sharing, but does not always lead to task success.○Cognitive ability appears to be key in reducing unproductive error responses across tasks.○Learning from individual errors in collaborative simulations depends on task design and learner characteristics.Implications for practice/or policy ○A simulation design that embeds error reflection as a central process, not an optional one and adapts to learners' cognitive prerequisites seems beneficial to foster learning from individual errors for CPS skill development.○Simulations may prioritise collaborative process quality, not just task outcomes, to support learning.○Structured feedback (e.g., elaborated explanations) or reflection prompts may help sustain productive error engagement.○Increasing task complexity or introducing novel elements can help learners stay engaged in simulation‐based CPS tasks.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        forms
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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