Mathematical skill acquisition: Transfer effects of a computer game based on the components theory of skill acquisition

Research within the field of mathematical learning has often focused on the extent to which knowledge of particular mathematical skills can facilitate the learning of new and unpracticed mathematical skills. Additionally, it has examined the influence of context on learning and the amount of practice necessary for complex skill acquisition to result. This paper provides a review of the research examining mathematical learning, skill acquisition and transfer of skills in a mathematical context. Pertinent theories in the field of cognitive skill acquisition are examined for their ability to explain transfer of skill. The review focuses on factors that influence the acquisition and transfer of skills, including: the impact of task difficulty on learning; the influence of context on skill retention and transfer; and the effect that understanding the underlying concepts of simple tasks has on the learning of complex tasks. The research evidence suggests that transfer of mathematical skill can occur if given the correct conditions. Learning contexts should be sufficiently difficult to result in enhanced learning, and comprehension of underlying strategies necessary for skilled performance of a task will facilitate performance on simpler tasks. The paper concludes that transfer is dependent on the skill that is learned and the manner it is learned in, and further research is needed to investigate how mathematical learning and skill transfer can be enhanced. This study examined mathematical skill transfer facilitated by a mathematical computer game based on Speelman and Kirsner\u27s (2005) Components Theory of Skill Acquisition and Transfer. Two alternative hypotheses were investigated: (1) By mastering mathematical tasks in the experimental computer game, performance would be enhanced on all mathematical problems (multiplication, addition and pictorial) presented in the post-test; and (2) task performance would only be enhanced for the mathematical problems practiced in the computer game. Eighty-four third-grade students from three primary schools in Perth, Western Australia participated in the study. Students engaged in a 5 min pre-test of multiplication, additional and pictorial problems, followed by 30 min of computer game-play of one of three .computer games (experimental mathematical game, comparison mathematical game, and game unrelated to mathematics). They then engaged in a 5 min post-test of multiplication, addition and pictorial problems. Score differences between pre- and post-tests were recorded. A significant difference was identified between the control group game and the comparison mathematical game only, indicating that results did not support either hypotheses. Overall, students in the control group performed more successfully than students in the other groups. This finding was contributed to the low power of the test statistic due to low participant numbers, flaws in the experimental computer game, as well as student motivation and enthusiasm. It was concluded that learning is at its best when students have experienced task mastery and are motivated to take on challenges, however, the study needs to be repeated with more participants and after levels in the experimental computer game are amended

Cognitive load theory, spacing effect, and working memory resources depletion: implications for instructional design

In classroom, student learning is affected by multiple factors that influence information processing. Working memory with its limited capacity and duration plays a key role in learner ability to process information and, therefore, is critical for student performance. Cognitive load theory, based on human cognitive architecture, focuses on the instructional implications of relations between working memory and learner knowledge base in long-term memory. The ultimate goal of this theory is to generate effective instructional methods that allow managing students' working memory load to optimize their learning, indicating the relations between the form of instructional design and the function of instructional design. This chapter considers recent additions to the theory based on working memory resources depletion that occurs after exerting significant cognitive effort and reverses after a rest period. The discussed implications for instructional design include optimal sequencing of learning and assessment tasks using spaced and massed practice tasks, immediate and delayed tests

Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum

The field of specialization known as the science of learning is not, in fact, one field. Science of learning is a term that serves as an umbrella for many lines of research, theory, and application. A term with an even wider reach is Learning Sciences (Sawyer, 2006). The present book represents a sliver, albeit a substantial one, of the scholarship on the science of learning and its application in educational settings (Science of Instruction, Mayer 2011). Although much, but not all, of what is presented in this book is focused on learning in college and university settings, teachers of all academic levels may find the recommendations made by chapter authors of service. The overarching theme of this book is on the interplay between the science of learning, the science of instruction, and the science of assessment (Mayer, 2011). The science of learning is a systematic and empirical approach to understanding how people learn. More formally, Mayer (2011) defined the science of learning as the “scientific study of how people learn” (p. 3). The science of instruction (Mayer 2011), informed in part by the science of learning, is also on display throughout the book. Mayer defined the science of instruction as the “scientific study of how to help people learn” (p. 3). Finally, the assessment of student learning (e.g., learning, remembering, transferring knowledge) during and after instruction helps us determine the effectiveness of our instructional methods. Mayer defined the science of assessment as the “scientific study of how to determine what people know” (p.3). Most of the research and applications presented in this book are completed within a science of learning framework. Researchers first conducted research to understand how people learn in certain controlled contexts (i.e., in the laboratory) and then they, or others, began to consider how these understandings could be applied in educational settings. Work on the cognitive load theory of learning, which is discussed in depth in several chapters of this book (e.g., Chew; Lee and Kalyuga; Mayer; Renkl), provides an excellent example that documents how science of learning has led to valuable work on the science of instruction. Most of the work described in this book is based on theory and research in cognitive psychology. We might have selected other topics (and, thus, other authors) that have their research base in behavior analysis, computational modeling and computer science, neuroscience, etc. We made the selections we did because the work of our authors ties together nicely and seemed to us to have direct applicability in academic settings

The role of phonology in visual word recognition: evidence from Chinese

Posters - Letter/Word Processing V: abstract no. 5024The hypothesis of bidirectional coupling of orthography and phonology predicts that phonology plays a role in visual word recognition, as observed in the effects of feedforward and feedback spelling to sound consistency on lexical decision. However, because orthography and phonology are closely related in alphabetic languages (homophones in alphabetic languages are usually orthographically similar), it is difficult to exclude an influence of orthography on phonological effects in visual word recognition. Chinese languages contain many written homophones that are orthographically dissimilar, allowing a test of the claim that phonological effects can be independent of orthographic similarity. We report a study of visual word recognition in Chinese based on a mega-analysis of lexical decision performance with 500 characters. The results from multiple regression analyses, after controlling for orthographic frequency, stroke number, and radical frequency, showed main effects of feedforward and feedback consistency, as well as interactions between these variables and phonological frequency and number of homophones. Implications of these results for resonance models of visual word recognition are discussed.postprin

Mixing it Up: Developing Expertise in Forensic Fingerprint Examination Using Interleaved Practice

This item is only available electronically.Forensic fingerprint experts have a superior ability to differentiate highly similar print pairs, especially in comparison to novices (those with no experience in the interpretation of fingerprints). Few studies have investigated methods of effectively training novices to become experts. The current study draws on the principle of interleaved practice to train a small sample of fingerprint novices. Interleaving theory purports that ‘mixing’ exemplars from different categories has greater learning benefit than ‘massing’ exemplars from the same category. The current experiment applied this principle via a novel training paradigm in which one group of novices responded to fingerprints from different fingers (Mixed), and a second group responded to fingerprints from the same finger (Massed). An active control group completed a task unrelated to fingerprint examination. All participants completed a measure of fingerprint expertise performance (the xQ) immediately prior to each of 10 training sessions across 10 consecutive days, with a final measure of performance completed on the eleventh and final day of testing. It was predicted that both fingerprint training groups would exhibit significantly greater improvement on the xQ across sessions than controls, and that the Mixed training group would display superior performance across sessions compared to the Massed training group. Instead, the results suggested that, while the Massed training group performed more accurately overall, none of the three groups improved significantly over sessions. This study has potential implications for the training of future fingerprint experts and could reduce the risk of costly errors made by these experts.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 202

Interactive effects of orthography and semantics in Chinese picture naming

Posters - Language Production/Writing: abstract no. 4035Picture-naming performance in English and Dutch is enhanced by presentation of a word that is similar in form to the picture name. However, it is unclear whether facilitation has an orthographic or a phonological locus. We investigated the loci of the facilitation effect in Cantonese Chinese speakers by manipulating—at three SOAs (2100, 0, and 1100 msec)—semantic, orthographic, and phonological similarity. We identified an effect of orthographic facilitation that was independent of and larger than phonological facilitation across all SOAs. Semantic interference was also found at SOAs of 2100 and 0 msec. Critically, an interaction of semantics and orthography was observed at an SOA of 1100 msec. This interaction suggests that independent effects of orthographic facilitation on picture naming are located either at the level of semantic processing or at the lemma level and are not due to the activation of picture name segments at the level of phonological retrieval.postprin

Fostering Critical Thinking: Generative processing strategies to learn to avoid bias in reasoning

This dissertation focuses on fostering learning and transfer of critical thinking skills of higher education students. It has been investigated which instructional methods are effective in promoting an essential aspect of critical thinking, that is, the ability to avoid bias in reasoning and decision making

How does extraneous textbook material influence the reading comprehension of normal and impaired college students?

Seductive details are interesting but irrelevant details added to a passage to make it more interesting, and research indicates that such details impair learning and recall of information. Seductive details have traditionally included illustrations, facts, names, and examples, but the effects of boxed material in textbooks have yet to be studied. If seductive details impede normal readers, they may have particularly adverse affects on students with serious reading problems, such as those with learning disabilities (LD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study examined the effects of boxed material on recall for both “Normal Control” (NC) and “Attentional Deficit” (AD) participants, who each read one of two versions of a text passage entitled “People with Severe and Multiple Disabilities.” The “Original Text” (OT) version contained extraneous information and illustrations, set apart from the rest of the text, as they appear in the textbook Human Exceptionality: Society, School, and Family (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 1999). The “Modified Text” (MT) version presented this information imbedded in the text and illustrations and “Focus” questions from the margins were eliminated. The Wender Utah Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and a Personal History Questionnaire were administered, and students completed a 45-question multiple choice quiz on the passage material and a series of post-study questions. Results indicate that all readers performed significantly better on text information (TI) questions than on boxed information (BI) questions. Clearly contrary to prediction, however, AD participants performed better, on average, than did NC participants, with the effect nearly reaching significance. In addition, questionnaire data indicated that NC and AD participants did not rate significantly differently on either passage clarity or content; AD participants generally find information presented inside boxes in textbooks to be significantly more helpful than do NC participants; and AD participants read the preface and/or “Information for Students” at the beginning of a textbook significantly less often than do NC participants