Transfer of training among non-traditional students in higher education: testing the theory of planned behavior

This study tested the predictive validity of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior with a sample of 182 non-traditional students in higher education to develop our understanding of non-traditional students’ intentions to transfer trained knowledge and skills from university courses to the workplace. After completing their courses, a survey measured behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, transfer attitudes, perceived social norms, transfer self-efficacy, and transfer intentions. One year later, a follow-up survey measured transfer of training. Partial least squares-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that behavioral beliefs were positively associated with transfer attitudes, normative beliefs were positively associated with social norms, and control beliefs were positively associated with self-efficacy. Transfer attitudes and transfer self-efficacy predicted transfer intentions. Social norms, however, were non-significantly associated with intentions. Transfer intentions and transfer self-efficacy predicted transfer 1 year after training. These findings are discussed in terms of their predictive validity of Ajzen’s theory and their educational implications for non-traditional students enrolled in higher education programs

Information problem solving instruction: An overview of 21st century research

Information problem solving (IPS) is the process of locating, selecting, evaluating, and integrating information from various sources to fulfill an information need (Brand-Gruwel, Wopereis, & Vermetten, 2005). It is regarded an important contemporary skill, at times categorized as twenty-first century skill or higher-order skill. Eisenberg and Berkowitz (1990) coined the term IPS in the nineties of the last century to specify their Big6 approach to integrated library and information skills instruction. Brand-Gruwel et al. (2005) used this instructional method as starting point to analyze IPS processes in professional and learning contexts, resulting in different descriptive models (Dinet, Chevalier, & Tricot, 2012). They concurrently initiated a strand of research that aimed at deducing design guidelines for IPS instruction in secondary and tertiary education (Brand-Gruwel & Gerjets, 2008). This strand has been largely informed from recent insights on instructional design for complex learning (cf. Van Merriënboer & Kirschner, 2013). The paper at issue focuses on the latter strand of research and presents a retrospective and prospective view on IPS instruction research. The retrospective part of the paper is based on a literature review; the prospective part includes an inventory of research initiatives recently started. For reviewing the literature we consulted databases of EBSCO (ERIC, LISTA, and PsycINFO) and Web of Science (SSCI). For listing ongoing research, conference proceedings of internationally recognized conferences within the domain of learning and instruction were analyzed. In addition, scholars in the field of IPS instruction were consulted to provide information on newly started research projects. Results of both the literature review and the inventory of ongoing research reveal five major themes in research on IPS instruction, namely: (a) the embeddedness of IPS instruction in educational curricula, (b) the whole task approach as basic principle of IPS instruction, (c) the effect of modes of scaffolding in IPS instruction, (d) the role of meta-cognition in IPS instruction, and (e) the emphasis on evaluation of information in IPS instruction. Except for the latter, the aforementioned issues largely resemble current topics in instructional design research. The focus on information evaluation in IPS instruction stresses the generally recognized importance of this IPS constituent (Wopereis & Van Merriënboer, 2011). As the internet does not have a traditional ‘gatekeeper of credibility’, like an editor, it is the information seeker who is increasingly responsible for the assessment of information found. Beside the results, the paper discusses directions for future research. In addition the link between IPS instruction research and research on information literacy education is highlighted

Motivation to transfer learning to multiple contexts

To stay up-to-date in contemporary information intensive societies it is important to be able to effectively and efficiently find, evaluate, process and present required information. In educational contexts training in these so-called information literacy competences is mainly the domain of institutional libraries. Essential to education is the long-term transfer of learning, that is the application of newly acquired competencies also outside the training environment. Research learns that this often takes place sparsely, leading to what is called a Transfer Paradox. The aim of this study is to develop a practical instrument for instructional designers to measure the influence of a set of key variables on the learner's motivation to transfer learning to the wider educational and the work context. Two hundred and thirty-four students of the Open University of the Netherlands doing an information literacy course filled out a questionnaire before entering the course. Data was analyzed using factor analyses and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results show that the opportunity to apply new learning and sanctions from supervisors are two important factors that influence the learner's motivation to transfer learning in both the study and the work context already before the course has started

Taking affective learning in digital education one step further: trainees’ affective characteristics predicting multicontextual pre-training transfer intention.

The past decades have shown an accelerated development of technology-enhanced or digital education. Although an important and recognized precondition for study success, still little attention has been paid to examining how an affective learning climate can be fostered in online training programs. Besides gaining insight into the dynamics of affective learning itself it is of vital importance to know what predicts trainees’ intention to transfer new knowledge and skills to other contexts. The present study investigated the influence of five affective learner characteristics from the transfer literature (learner readiness, motivation to learn, expected positive outcomes, expected negative outcomes, personal capacity) on trainees’ pre-training transfer intention. Participants were 366 adult students enrolled in an online course in information literacy in a distance learning environment. As information literacy is a generic competence, applicable in various contexts, we developed a novel multicontextual transfer perspective and investigated within one single study the influence of the abovementioned variables on pre-training transfer intention for both the students’ Study and Work contexts. The hypothesized model has been tested using structural equation modeling. The results showed that motivation to learn, expected positive personal outcomes, and learner readiness were the strongest predictors. Results also indicated the benefits of gaining pre-training insight into the specific characteristics of multiple transfer contexts, especially when education in generic competences is involved. Instructional designers might enhance study success by taking affective transfer elements and multicontextuality into account when designing digital education

Predicting Transfer of Generic Information Literacy Competencies by Non-Traditional Students to Their Study and Work Contexts: A Longitudinal Perspective

Rapid developments in contemporary societies not only ask for lifelong learning but increasingly also for training in generic competencies suitable for multiple contexts and life stages. An indicator of training success is the transfer or application of new learning, a longitudinal process influenced by various theory- and evidence-based factors. The present study combined a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach by investigating non-traditional distance education students’ intention to transfer newly acquired generic information literacy competencies to their study and work contexts before, directly after, and three months after training. Three surveys, using a combination of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior and Holton et al.’s Learning Transfer System Inventory model, measured the influence of performance outcomes expectations, organizational openness to change, and performance self-efficacy on intention to transfer and transfer behaviour. The participants were 82 adult educational professionals enrolled in an online information literacy course at the Open University. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed the value of employing a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach within this specific setting. Furthermore, notably, self-efficacy appeared to predict pre-training intention in both study and work contexts and transfer behaviour in the work context. Educational implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed