Scaffolding Reflection: Prompting Social Constructive Metacognitive Activity in Non-Formal Learning

The study explores the effects of three different types of non-adaptive, metacognitive scaffolding on social, constructive metacognitive activity and reflection in groups of non-formal learners. Six triads of non-formal learners were assigned randomly to one of the three scaffolding conditions: structuring, problematising or epistemological. The triads were then asked to collaboratively resolve an ill-structured problem and record their deliberations. Evidence from think-aloud protocols was analysed using conversational and discourse analysis. Findings indicate that epistemological scaffolds produced more social, constructive metacognitive activity than either of the two other scaffolding conditions in all metacognitive activities except for task orientation, as well as higher quality interactions during evaluation and reflection phases. However, participants appeared to be less aware of their activities as forming a strategic, self-regulatory response to the problem. This may indicate that for learning transfer, it may be necessary to employ an adaptive, facilitated reflection on learners' activities

Student profiling in a dispositional learning analytics application using formative assessment

How learning disposition data can help us translating learning feedback from a learning analytics application into actionable learning interventions, is the main focus of this empirical study. It extends previous work where the focus was on deriving timely prediction models in a data rich context, encompassing trace data from learning management systems, formative assessment data, e-tutorial trace data as well as learning dispositions. In this same educational context, the current study investigates how the application of cluster analysis based on e-tutorial trace data allows student profiling into different at-risk groups, and how these at-risk groups can be characterized with the help of learning disposition data. It is our conjecture that establishing a chain of antecedent-consequence relationships starting from learning disposition, through student activity in e-tutorials and formative assessment performance, to course performance, adds a crucial dimension to current learning analytics studies: that of profiling students with descriptors that easily lend themselves to the design of educational interventions

Self-directedness, integration and higher cognition

In this paper I discuss connections between self-directedness, integration and higher cognition. I present a model of self-directedness as a basis for approaching higher cognition from a situated cognition perspective. According to this model increases in sensorimotor complexity create pressure for integrative higher order control and learning processes for acquiring information about the context in which action occurs. This generates complex articulated abstractive information processing, which forms the major basis for higher cognition. I present evidence that indicates that the same integrative characteristics found in lower cognitive process such as motor adaptation are present in a range of higher cognitive process, including conceptual learning. This account helps explain situated cognition phenomena in humans because the integrative processes by which the brain adapts to control interaction are relatively agnostic concerning the source of the structure participating in the process. Thus, from the perspective of the motor control system using a tool is not fundamentally different to simply controlling an arm

Aggressive and non-aggressive preschoolers\u27 problem-solving: The role of maternal scaffolding.

Aggressive children suffer from deficits with respect to their ability to self-regulate. One way caregivers foster their children\u27s self-regulatory development is through the teaching of problem-solving skills. This study examined the role of maternal scaffolding in terms of its relationship to children\u27s aggression and social competence. Sixty mother-child dyads (30 aggressive, 30 non-aggressive) engaged in a 10-minute structured task (ERA; Clarke, Musick, Stott, Klehr, & Cohler, 1984). Utilizing the Parental Scaffolding Coding Manual (Neitzel & Stright, 2003), mothers were assessed with respect to 7 scaffolding behaviours encompassing cognitive, emotional, and autonomy support. The results revealed that compared to mothers of aggressive preschoolers, mothers of non-aggressive preschoolers were significantly more effective scaffolders across 6 of the 7 behaviours including: regulation of task difficulty, review, emotional support, rejection, control, and encouragement. Only mothers\u27 use of metacognitive information failed to reach a statistically significant difference. In addition, maternal scaffolding was significantly related to children\u27s cooperation, responsibility, and self-control. The pattern of relationships between maternal scaffolding and children\u27s social competence was different by group. For the non-aggressive pairs, mothers\u27 regulation of task difficulty, review, and control were significantly related to children\u27s cooperation, assertion, responsibility, and self-control. With respect to the aggressive pairs, mothers scaffolding was significantly related to children\u27s responsibility. The results of the study are interpreted in terms of their importance for children\u27s development of self-regulation and treatment models for childhood aggression.Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2005 .C53. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, page: 1512. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2005

Toward a script theory of guidance in computer-supported collaborative learning

This article presents an outline of a script theory of guidance for computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). With its four types of components of internal and external scripts (play, scene, role, and scriptlet) and seven principles, this theory addresses the question how CSCL practices are shaped by dynamically re-configured internal collaboration scripts of the participating learners. Furthermore, it explains how internal collaboration scripts develop through participation in CSCL practices. It emphasizes the importance of active application of subject matter knowledge in CSCL practices, and it prioritizes transactive over non-transactive forms of knowledge application in order to facilitate learning. Further, the theory explains how external collaboration scripts modify CSCL practices and how they influence the development of internal collaboration scripts. The principles specify an optimal scaffolding level for external collaboration scripts and allow for the formulation of hypotheses about the fading of external collaboration scripts. Finally, the article points towards conceptual challenges and future research questions

Emotion Regulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Parent Co-Regulation and its Relations with Externalizing and Internalizing Problems

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit internalizing and externalizing problems, which may be explained by emotion regulation (ER) difficulties. Parent co-regulation (i.e., supporting their child’s emotional development through scaffolding, and helping their child regulate emotions) may help improve child ER, and internalizing and externalizing problems. This study investigated the relationships amongst parent co-regulation, child ER, and internalizing and externalizing problems in a sample of 35 parents and school-aged children with ASD prior to an ER-focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy intervention. Active co-regulation strategies (e.g., prompting, redirection of attention), and scaffolding during an anxious situation were associated with parent-reported levels of internalizing problems. Although child ER did not emerge as a significant mediator or moderator, parent scaffolding and child ER were significant predictors of externalizing problems. Suggestions for future research on parent involvement in the emotional development of children with ASD are discussed, as well as implications for ER-focused interventions

Stretching the limits in help-seeking research

This special section focuses on help seeking in a wide range of learning environments, from classrooms to online forums. Previous research has rather restrictively focused on the identification of personal characteristics that predict whether or not learners seek help under certain conditions. However, help-seeking research has begun to broaden these self-imposed limitations. The papers in this special section represent good examples of this development. Indeed, help seeking in the presented papers is explored through complementary theoretical lenses (e.g., linguistic, instructional), using a wide scope of methodologies (e.g., teacher reports, log files), and in a manner which embraces the support of innovative technologies (e.g., cognitive tutors, web-based environments)

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThis dissertation is comprised of five chapters, three of which are written in an article format and will later be submitted for publication. The remaining two chapters, Chapters 1 and 5, serve as introductory and summary chapters. This dissertation seeks to address conceptually, empirically, and from an evaluative standpoint how recreation settings can serve to promote self-regulation in youth. Recreation programs are ideally situated to support the development of self-regulation in youth. However, the role of self-regulation in recreation programs is one that has seen little review, making it an important topic to examine. Chapter 2 is a synthesis of the literature on self-regulation, youth development, and recreation. This chapter provides practitioners with leverage points on how to support self-regulation in youth. The findings from this synthesis suggest that practitioners can utilize some of the key elements of a recreation program to foster self-regulation. Specifically, practitioners should leverage fun and enjoyment, recreation activities that have developmental attributes, and interpersonal relationships. A discussion with recommendations for practice is presented. The third chapter examines the effects of a mentoring program on youth participants' self-regulation. An 8-week-long mentoring curriculum was implemented in a summer recreation program. The research was conducted with two matched sites from the same recreation agency, one to serve as the treatment site, the other to serve as a comparison site. Self-regulation scores were collected on a sample of youth who received mentoring (n = 29) and youth who did not receive mentoring (n = 35). A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance was conducted. Results indicated that youth who received the mentoring showed a greater rate of change over time in self-regulation than the comparison site. These findings suggest that a structured mentoring program is an important mechanism with which to promote youths' self-regulation. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Chapter 4 presents a broader approach to program evaluation by providing an example of program implementation evaluation. This paper draws on the implementation of a youth mentoring program to illustrate the methods used to assess key implementation factors. A mixed methods approach was used to collect implementation data and included the use of a structured journal and interviews with program implementers and participants. The process of assessing program implementation is discussed, highlighting the challenges in conducting program implementation evaluation within a recreation setting