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

Cognitive apprenticeship : teaching the craft of reading, writing, and mathtematics

Includes bibliographical references (p. 25-27)This research was supported by the National Institute of Education under Contract no. US-NIE-C-400-81-0030 and the Office of Naval Research under Contract No. N00014-85-C-002

Master of Science

thesisThe purpose of this study is to examine how representation format and task instructions impact student learning in a science domain. Learning outcomes were assessed via measures of mental model, declarative knowledge, and knowledge inference. Students were asked to use one of two forms of representation, either drawing or writing, during study of a science text. Further, instructions (summarize vs. explain) were varied to determine if students' intended use of the presentation influenced learning. Thus, this study used a 2 (drawing vs. writing) X 2 (summarize vs. explain) between-subjects design. Drawing was hypothesized to require integration across learning materials regardless of task instructions, because drawings (by definition) require learners to integrate new information into a visual representation. Learning outcomes associated with writing were hypothesized to depend upon task instructions: when asked to summarize, writing should result in reproduction of text; when asked t

Effects of writing to learn in pre-calculus mathematics on achievement and affective outcomes for students in a community college setting: a mixed methods approach

2011 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.The intent of this study was to explore an intervention, Writing to Learn, within a college level mathematics course and examine how Writing to Learn Mathematics as an assessment tool in Trigonometry relates to overall achievement and self-reflection with respect to learning mathematics. The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence and determine the effect such an intervention had on undergraduate students' academic achievement as well as their mathematic conceptual growth and metacognitive growth. This study employed a mixed method approach using a qualitative study design element with emphasis on template analysis and was supported with inferential statistics from a cross-over study design implemented in a concurrent and parallel format. The quantitative portion of the study examined differences in students' exam scores for the portion of the course where students experienced Writing to Learn Mathematics versus the portion of the course where students did not experienced Writing to Learn Mathematics to determine if writing had an effect on students' performance on exams. While the results from the quantitative portion of the study were not statistically significant, effect sizes indicated a small effect. Paralleling the quantitative phase, the qualitative portion of the study utilized an approach referred to as Template Analysis to reveal the nature of students' individual metacognitive functioning and changes that occurred during the course of this study as students utilized various writing activities which engaged students in individual reflective writing as part of the course. The initial, a priori, codes were modify, expanded, and revised to reveal three themes focused on metacognitive transformations: changes as a learner, reflections and writing, and value of writing. While there were inconsistencies between results due to different methodological approaches in data collection, information that may otherwise have been overlooked was available. The integration of results revealed many students made significant changes in approaches to learning and also made deep and meaningful conceptual connections as a result of Writing to Learn Mathematics. It also was apparent writing in mathematics and about mathematics encouraged students to reflect on what they were learning and facilitated meaningful connections about content and themselves as learners

Improving The Problem Solving Skill Through Metacognitive Strategies Assisted by Student Worksheets

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of metacognitive learning strategy assisted by student worksheets based on troubleshooting even though only for a short amount of time to develop students' physics problem solving abilities. This research design using quasi-experiment design. The study population was students of class XI MAN Yogyakarta 1 with two sample classes totaling 53 people taken through cluster random sampling techniques. Collecting research data through study documentation, observation, and tests. Analysis of research data using descriptive analysis techniques and quantitative analysis (independent sample t-test). This study shows the results that the application of metacognition learning strategy assisted by student worksheets based on troubleshooting in a relatively short period of time is not effective to produce physics problem solving abilities

VIDEO PROMPTS FOR SELF-REGULATED LEARNING: METACOGNITION AND REFLECTION ACTIVITY

This study explored video metacognitive prompts as a method of engaging students in self-regulated learning. The study was completed in the naturalistic setting of fully online learning. Such learning environments imply a distance between faculty and students that makes student self-direction vital to success. However students are only infrequently practicing self-regulated learning skills

Training older adults: the role of strategy use and stereotype threat

2011 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.Older adults are becoming an increasingly important part of the workforce. Due to cognitive and emotional changes associated with aging, this population might require specially designed training programs to optimize training outcomes. Two specific changes associated with aging that need to be addressed are susceptibility to stereotype threat and the use of metacognitive strategies during learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of initiating stereotype threat in older adults, as well as the effect of encouraging older adults to use metacognitive strategies during training, on training outcomes. In a 2X2 between-subject experimental design including no stereotype threat/ stereotype threat and no metacognitive prompt/ metacognitive prompt conditions, 131 older adults between the ages of 55 and 70 years old were assessed on training outcomes. Results indicated that, as hypothesized, stereotype threat had a negative effect on learning outcomes. Contrary to expectations, cognitive prompts also had a negative effect on training outcomes. Implications of the results are that further investigation of optimal training design for older adults is warranted

The psychological dimension of transformation in teacher learning

Against a background which recognises pedagogical content knowledge as the distinctive element of teacher competence/expertise, this theoretical essay argues for its central construct - that of transformation – to be understood by teachers and teacher-educators in psychological terms (as was originally proposed by Dewey). Transformation requires teachers to fashion disciplinary knowledge such that it is accessible to the learner. It is argued that for transformation to happen, teacher thinking must include a sophisticated grasp of cognition and metacognition if teachers are to be characterised as competent, let alone expert. This article is written within a context of considerable social and academic scrutiny in the United Kingdom of the form and content of professional teacher preparation and development. In recent years the contribution of psychological knowledge to teacher-education has been filtered through procedural lenses of how best to 'manage classrooms', 'assess learning', 'build confidence' or whatever without a matched concern for psychological constructs through which such issues might be interpreted; thus leaving teachers vulnerable in their professional understandings of learning and its complexities. That society now requires high-level cognitive engagement amongst its participants places cognitive and metacognitive demands on teachers which can only be met if they themselves are conceptually equipped