Between standardized teaching goals and individual learning processes. Possibilities of adaptive, technology-enhanced learning systems

Lernende orientieren sich bei der Auswahl und Planung ihrer Lernaktivitäten stark daran, was ihnen von einer Lehrperson vorgegeben wird. Empirische Befunde zeigen, dass insbesondere die Art der Prüfungsgestaltung als einflussreiches didaktisches Mittel angesehen werden kann, das den Lernprozess Studierender stark beeinflusst. Starre Strukturen und hoher Workload in Bachelor- und Masterstudiengängen fördern diesen Effekt zusätzlich, da wenig Zeit für selbstbestimmtes Lernen bleibt. In einer idealen Lehr-Lern-Situation sollten daher Lehrziele, Lehrmethode und Prüfungsgestaltung bestmöglich auf einander abgestimmt sein, um einen effizienten Lernprozess zu fördern (Constructive Alignment). Gleichzeitig sollten die individuellen Voraussetzungen jedes Lernenden berücksichtigt werden. Dieser Beitrag zeigt auf, wie technologie-gestützte Lernsysteme dazu beitragen können, individualisierte Lernwege zu realisieren, um eine heterogene Gruppe von Lernenden beim Erreichen derselben vorgegebenen Lernziele zu unterstützen. Es wird beleuchtet, welche Lernendenvariablen und welche instruktionalen Methoden sich eignen, um individualisierte Lernarrangements zu gestalten und diskutiert, welche Konsequenzen sich daraus für die Rahmenbedingungen von Lehr-Lern-Situationen ergeben.Learners mainly use given information from their teacher as point of reference for selecting and planning their learning activities. Empirical evidence showed that especially the assessment format has a strong impact on learning processes. This effect is further enhanced through inflexible study plans and a huge required workload, which leave less space for self-regulated learning. Thus, in an ideal learning situation, teaching goals, learning activities triggered by the teacher’s instructions, and the format of assessment correspond to each other (Constructive Alignment) to support an effective learning process. In this article we demonstrate how technology-based learning systems can be used to support individualized learning processes in order to support heterogeneous groups of learners in reaching the same learning goals. We discuss which learner variables and instructional methods are useful for implementation in adaptive learning systems and discuss consequences for the frame conditions of formal learning contexts

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

On the role of self-assessment and task-selection in self-regulated learning

Kostons, D. (2010). On the role of self-assessment and task-selection in self-regulated learning. Doctoral Thesis. Heerlen, The Netherlands: Open University of the Netherlands.Effective self-regulated learning, in which students have to select their own learning tasks, is difficult for students. They need to be able to self-assess their own performance and subsequently select a new learning task based on that assessment. The research in this dissertation first investigates difficulties students have with accurately self-assessing their performance and selecting learning tasks appropriate to their learning needs. Students seem to have difficulties in monitoring their own performance, lack knowledge of criteria and standards to accurately assess their performance, and do not know which aspects of a task are important to consider when selecting a learning task. Second, this dissertation investigates the effectiveness of training students’ self-assessment and task-selection skills on the accuracy of these skills, as well as effects of such training on learning outcomes with self-regulated learning. Training, either through worked examples or instruction with practice, increased self-assessment and task-selection accuracy, and led to higher learning outcomes with self-regulated learning

Retrieval-, Distributed-, and Interleaved Practice in the Classroom:A Systematic Review

Three of the most effective learning strategies identified are retrieval practice, distributed practice, and interleaved practice, also referred to as desirable difficulties. However, it is yet unknown to what extent these three practices foster learning in primary and secondary education classrooms (as opposed to the laboratory and/or tertiary education classrooms, where most research is conducted) and whether these strategies affect different students differently. To address these gaps, we conducted a systematic review. Initial and detailed screening of 869 documents found in a threefold search resulted in a pool of 29 journal articles published from 2006 through June 2020. Seventy-five effect sizes nested in 47 experiments nested in 29 documents were included in the review. Retrieval- and interleaved practice appeared to benefit students’ learning outcomes quite consistently; distributed practice less so. Furthermore, only cognitive Student*Task characteristics (i.e., features of the student’s cognition regarding the task, such as initial success) appeared to be significant moderators. We conclude that future research further conceptualising and operationalising initial effort is required, as is a differentiated approach to implementing desirable difficulties

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

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

Development of Self-Regulated Learning Skills Within Open-Ended Computer-Based Learning Environments for Science

Over the past decade, open-ended computer-based learning environments have been increasingly used to facilitate students’ learning of complex scientific topics. The non-linearity and open-endedness of these environments create learning opportunities for students, but can also impose challenges in terms of extraneous cognitive load and greater requirements for self-regulated learning (SRL). SRL is crucial for academic success in various educational settings. This dissertation explores how self-regulatory skills develop and the role of gender in the development of SRL skills in Virtual Performance Assessments (VPA), an immersive, open-ended virtual environment designed to assess middle school students’ science inquiry skills. Findings from three analyses combining educational data mining techniques with multilevel modeling indicated that students developed self-regulatory behaviors and strategies as they used VPA. For example, experience with VPA prepared students to adopt more efficient note-taking and note-reviewing strategies. Students who used VPA for the second time engaged in note-taking more frequently, noted a significantly higher quantity of unique information, used the control of variables strategy more frequently in note-taking, and reproduced more domain-specific declarative information in notes than students who used VPA for the first time, all of which have been found to be positively associated with science inquiry performance. Students also learned to exploit more available sources of information by applying learning strategies, in order to either solve inquiry problems, or to monitor and evaluate their solutions. Compared to the second-time users who focused primarily on answering the core inquiry question and selectively collected data, the first-time users’ behaviors showed the repetition and combination of exploratory actions such as talking with non-player characters and collecting data. In addition, consistent gender differences in SRL were observed in this study. Female students were more likely to take notes than male students; they took notes and reviewed notes more frequently and recorded a higher quantity of information in notes, especially information from the research kiosk. Females were also more likely to review notes or read research pages to assist them with the problem-solving and decision-making process than their male counterparts. Possibly due to the higher quantity of information recorded by female note-takers and their tendency to review notes over males, female students’ performance on science inquiry tasks improved across the course of using the two scenarios of VPA, whereas the male students’ science inquiry skills did not show improvement. Results from this dissertation study provide insights into the instructional design of personalized open-ended learning environments to facilitate self-regulated learning for both male and female students