Learning and Instruction最新文献

Background

While text reading is still a preferred form of learning, topic interest can be considered an important predictor of reading comprehension. However, the nature of the relationship between interest and comprehension is not yet fully understood.

Aims

The present study investigates whether topic interest is related to comprehension when measured in advance and whether two indicators of attention (i.e., mind wandering and cognitive coupling) mediate this relation.

Sample

Participants were 238 university students.

Methods

Participants rated their interest in three different topics. One week later, they read one text on each of these topics. The texts’ levels of difficulty were manipulated to change during reading. Measured variables during reading were the individual adaptation of the reading speed to the text difficulty (cognitive coupling) and the frequency of mind wandering. In addition, comprehension was measured after reading each text.

Results

Preliminary assessed topic interest was found to be indirectly but not directly associated with reading comprehension. Specifically, topic interest negatively predicted mind wandering during reading, while mind wandering was, in turn, negatively associated with reading comprehension. In addition, partial evidence was found for the mediating role of cognitive coupling.

Conclusions

The present study adds to the research by showing that topic interest can predict future mind wandering and one type of cognitive coupling. Because mind wandering was, in turn, negatively related to reading comprehension, the study's findings further suggest that topic interest should be encouraged to minimize harmful mind wandering, promote adaption to text properties, and thus improve comprehension.

Background

There is a complex pattern of sex differences in spatial abilities, yet there is limited knowledge of sex differences in children's exposure to, and children's use of, spatial language. The aim of this study was to directly compare mother-child and father-child interactions to investigate differences by child and parent sex in spatial language.

Methods

The first 3-min of mother-child and father-child DUPLO® play sessions were coded for spatial language when the child was 24 months (N = 187 families; 105:82 boys:girls) and two years later at 48 months (N = 115 families; 66:49 boys:girls).

Results

There were no sex differences in children's or parents' spatial language use at 24 months or 48 months. Regardless of socioeconomic status or parent talkativeness, parents showed more variety of spatial language (quality) with their daughters than their sons, but a similar quantity of spatial language with their daughters and sons. Associational analyses revealed a concurrent association between parent and child spatial language use at 48 months, but parent spatial language at 24 months did not predict child spatial language 2 years later. No direct sex effects were observed for cross-sectional or longitudinal associational analyses.

Conclusions

Higher spatial language quality with daughters could reflect a higher (perceived) need to provide conceptual support to daughters than sons. Beyond this, we found limited evidence of sex effects. Our findings represent an important contribution, demonstrating comparable levels of exposure to spatial language to sons and daughters, and comparable elicitation of spatial language from young boys and girls.

Background

The mastery of economic theory in societies immersed in a globalised world requires the formation of reflective and socially engaged students prepared to guide today's economies. Game-based learning is a useful tool for learning economic theory due to the instruction of knowledge and skills training in an environment that simulates real-world situations.

Aims

This study established university students' perceptions of and reflections on non-digital learning activities based on long-term market games in the classroom.

Sample

Participants were 192 undergraduate students.

Methods

The Mercadito is a competitive classroom market game that invited students (household role) to lease their economic factors of production and, with their payment, consume the goods and services offered by other students (company role). A qualitative study was conducted (n = 27). Data were collected through focus groups and in-depth semi-structured interviews. The information was transcribed, coded, and analysed by the saturation of information principle.

Results

The students highlighted Mercadito as a dynamic and didactic learning activity that reflected the reality of the economy. Other reflections highlighted that (a) indebtedness allows access to consumption, while payment strategies are sought, (b) inequality is not only an economic issue, and (c) competition in the market must be ensured so that benefits are received by both households and companies.

Conclusions

Students perceived behaviours such as solidarity, honesty, and collaboration, and other opposites such as collusion, cheating, and unbridled ambition. Mercadito also showed potential as a laboratory for predicting socio-economic behaviours both in local economies and in countries with different economic systems.

Although there is controversy surrounding rewards and competition in education, they are key elements in digital game-based learning (DGBL). Research on the influence of rewards and competition in DGBL often yields mixed results, suggesting a need to investigate individual game elements and their interactions. This study implemented DGBL focusing on computational thinking (CT) in 7th-grade classes. Both quantitative and behavioral data were collected to understand the impact of rewards (power-up or customization) and competition (with or without) on students’ intrinsic motivation, game performance, behaviors, and CT skills. The findings uncovered significant interactions between rewards and competition. Students with both competition and power-up rewards achieved the highest game points but the lowest CT performance, whereas those exposed to the same power-up rewards without competition attained the lowest game points but the best CT performance. Implications are drawn for DGBL research and practice.

Background

Spatial thinking plays a crucial role in STEM success. Minecraft Education, a digital game-based learning platform, provides opportunities for developing students’ spatial thinking while supporting curricular content.

Aim

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a Minecraft Education intervention, integrated into the curriculum, in improving spatial thinking and creativity.

Sample

Fifth and sixth year primary school students (M_age = 11.53, SD_age = 0.58) and their teachers.

Methods

The study used a mixed-methods, two-level cluster randomised-controlled trial design. Thirty-two classes (N = 885 students) were randomly assigned to the intervention or education-as-usual control group. Assessments of spatial thinking and creativity were completed at pre-test, post-test and 6-week follow up. Teacher interviews were conducted to understand their experiences of the intervention.

Results

While no overall intervention-related improvements in spatial thinking were found, subgroup analyses revealed that 5th year demonstrated improved spatial thinking compared to 6th year at post-test. This may be attributable to 5th year students’ higher levels of engagement in the intervention. Unexpectedly, creativity scores were higher in the control group at post-test. Qualitative interviews identified four themes: 1) Improving spatial thinking, 2) Improving creativity, 3) Engagement, and 4) Difficulties implementing the programme.

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of increasing student engagement in spatial interventions to improve their spatial skills. Finally, the study suggests that sustained practice is required to maintain the benefits of spatial instruction/training.

Background

The learning styles myth is prevalent among (pre-service) teachers. Research shows that texts and podcasts refuting misconceptions and contrasting them with scientific concepts can effectively dissolve such misconceptions through cognitive conflicts, encouraging the reflection of one's beliefs. However, it is unclear if texts and podcasts differ in refuting pre-service teachers' misconceptions.

Aims

We investigated if conceptual change texts and podcasts have different potential for inducing conceptual change among pre-service teachers regarding their beliefs in the learning styles myth, compared to an expository information presentation immediately and up to eight weeks after the intervention.

Sample

116 pre-service teachers participated in the short term, and 100 in the long term.

Methods

The experimental study used a 2 x 2 x 4 mixed-design (manner of information presentation: conceptual change vs expository; medium: podcast vs text; time: immediately before and after the treatment as well as four and eight weeks later). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Students' beliefs were measured at all four measurement points.

Results

The conceptual change conditions led to a stronger decrease in students' beliefs than the expository conditions in the short term (p < 0.01, η² = 0.08) and the long term (p = 0.03, η² = 0.04). Text and podcast were equally effective in the short term (p = 0.62, η² = 0.00, BF₀₁ = 9.13) and the long term (p = 0.67, η² = 0.00, BF₀₁ = 39.94).

Conclusion

Podcasts and texts using conceptual change strategies can effectively dispel pedagogical misconceptions among pre-service teachers up to eight weeks post-intervention.

Background

As instructional quality is crucial for successful learning, its conditional factors are of particular interest for research and practice. Research showed that distal as well as proximal class composition factors are related to instructional quality. However, it is still unclear to what extent these aspects explain differences in instructional quality between classes of the same teacher.

Aim

This study investigates differences in instructional quality (cognitive activation, classroom management, student support) between classes taught by the same teacher and how these differences are related to distal (gender ratio, SES, proportion of multilingual learners) and proximal (self-concept, interest, mathematics grade) classroom composition factors.

Sample

Analyses are based on 3566 students in 219 classes taught by 106 teachers in 9th-grade mathematics classrooms in Germany.

Methods

We estimated three-level doubly-latent linear mixed models regressing instructional quality on class composition factors with students at level 1, classes at level 2, and teachers at level 3.

Results

Roughly 7–13 % of the variance in instructional quality perceived by the students can be attributed to class characteristics. Higher class-mean interest and a lower proportion of multilingual learners are related to higher cognitive activation. Class-mean self-concept is negatively and interest is positively related to student support. Higher discipline can be significantly explained by higher mean mathematics grades and more female students in the class.

Conclusions

Our results underline the importance of considering the classroom context when striving for high instructional quality, highlighting the importance of promoting proximal factors such as student interest.

Background

The viewing perspective effect refers to the finding that students learn better from instructional videos recorded from first-person perspective than third-person perspective, but little is known about the neural mechanism underlying this effect.

Aims

This study investigates the underlying neural mechanism of the viewing perspective effect.

Samples

Participants were 60 university students in Experiment 1, and 65 university students in Experiment 2.

Methods

Experiment 1 replicated previous studies by using paper folding tasks (i.e., butterfly and four-leaf clover). Participants were randomly assigned to the first-person view group (i.e., watching videos recorded from a first-person view) or the third-person view group (i.e., watching videos recorded from a third-person view). Experiment 2 extended viewing perspective research by using neuroimaging methodology. Participants were randomly assigned to the two groups as in Experiment 1, but with fNIRS probes placed on each student's head. Participants watched the butterfly video (watching phase) and then performed the task (imitation phase).

Results

There was superior performance on the butterfly task with a first-person view over a third-person view in both experiments, replicating the viewing perspective effect. There was higher cortical activation in the first-person view group in the right dlPFC during the watching phase, and higher cortical activation in third-person view group in the left IPC during the imitation phase.

Conclusions

This study replicates viewing perspective effect and investigates the underlying neural mechanism of the viewing perspective effect.

Background

Problem-solving encourages learners to engage in deep knowledge processing. However, merely providing problem-solving activities without considering task complexity may not optimize learning.

Aims

The present study analyzed the effects of task complexity (consistently high vs. gradually increasing) on performance, germane cognitive load, meta-awareness, and intrinsic interest using a learning task conducted in a laboratory.

Sample

We analyzed data collected from 98 graduate and ungraduated university students (N = 98; M_age = 21.22 years, SD = 3.03).

Methods

The study comprised a main session and a post-test. During the main session participants completed a problem-solving task either with consistently high complexity or gradually increasing complexity. During the post-test all participants solved the task once with high complexity. Metacognition (regulation, knowledge), germane cognitive load, meta-awareness, and intrinsic interest were assessed by self-evaluation questionnaires.

Results

The findings indicated positive effects of consistently high complexity on immediate performance, germane cognitive load, and meta-awareness. Additionally, an important relationship between metacognition (regulation, knowledge) and meta-awareness was identified when learning with gradually increasing complexity. However, no impact of task complexity on intrinsic interest was found.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that exposing learners to consistently high complexity tasks can have beneficial effects on learning without negatively influencing intrinsic interest.