The effect of leads on cognitive load and learning in a conceptually rich hypertext environment

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether leads affect cognitive load and learning from conceptually rich hypertext. Measures of cognitive load included self-report of mental effort, reading time, and event-related desynchronization percentage of alpha, beta, and theta brain wave rhythms. Conceptual and structural knowledge tests, as well as a recall measure were used to determine learning performance. Measures of learners\u27 reading ability, prior knowledge, and metacognitive awareness were employed to establish the effect of individual differences on cognitive load and learning from traditional and lead-augmented hypertext. Results demonstrated that while leads appeared to reduce brain wave activity associated with split attention, processing of redundant information contained in hypertext nodes may have increased extraneous cognitive load, and decreased germane load that is required for learning to take place. Whereas the benefits of leads relative to cognitive load and learning may have been mediated by the redundancy effect, learners with better developed metacognitive skills tended to use leads as a tool to review information in the linked nodes while revisiting content in the primary text passage. Limitations of the currently available cognitive load measures are discussed as applied to direct assessment of this theoretical construct

The Effect of a Serious Digital Game on Students\u27 Ability to Transfer Knowledge in Secondary Agricultural Education: An Exploratory Study

This study’s purpose was to compare the effectiveness of the traditional, lecture and discussion method to a digital game-based learning (DGBL) approach on students’ near and far knowledge transfer abilities in agriculture and mathematics regarding a unit on swine diseases in animal science courses. Two research questions guided the study, which employed a quasi-experimental, between-groups design. No statistically significant differences (p \u3e .05) were found between the counterfactual group and the treatment group regarding students’ near and far knowledge transfer. Based on this result, it can be recommended that professional development opportunities be created with an emphasis on using serious games to teach course content for in-service teachers without diminishing students’ knowledge transfer. Specifically, the creators of this professional development should consider emphasizing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge development in teachers. In addition, future investigations should focus on the kind of transfer that occurred, whether positive, negative, or zero

Implications for neuroimaging for educational research

Neural functions are fundamental to learning, instruction, and performance. Although tremendous progress has been made in neuroscience in the past two decades, its applications in educational research are just beginning to be realized. This review focuses on selected technologies, methods, and findings from neuroscience that have important implications for educational sciences. Specifically, this chapter discusses conceptual and empirical research on the use, implications, and limitations of neuroimaging techniques such as continuous electroencephalography, event-related potentials, and functional magnetic resonance imaging in the domains of language and reading, mathematics learning, problem solving, cognitive load, and affective processes in learning. Neuroimaging has enabled scientists to open the black box of neural activity that underlies learning. It seems timely, therefore, to consider how educational researchers may employ the increased understanding of brain function to explore educational questions

Effects of Segmenting, Signaling, and Weeding on Learning from Educational Video

Informed by the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, this study examined the effects of three multimedia design principles on undergraduate students\u27 learning outcomes and perceived learning difficulty in the context of learning entomology from an educational video. These principles included segmenting the video into smaller units, signalling to direct students\u27 attention to relevant information, and weeding to remove any non-essential content (SSW). It was hypothesized that the SSW treatment would decrease perceived learning difficulty and facilitate the transfer of knowledge and the structural knowledge acquisition. Results of the study demonstrate that participants in the SSW group outperformed the non-SSW group on the tests of knowledge transfer and structural knowledge acquisition and reported lower levels of learning difficulty. These findings support the use of SSW to help novice learners organize and integrate knowledge from complex, dynamic audio-visual media like video

Towards Rapid Development of Conversational Virtual Humans using Web3D Technologies

In this paper, we propose a framework for the rapid development of conversational virtual humans (VHs) via the web. Web3D formats, such as WebGL, have enabled the use of interactive VHs on the web. Web-based conversational VHs are found to have great potential in improving population health. However, the development of web-based VHs needs significant time and effort which can lead health experts to avoid VH technology. In this paper, we present a case study to highlight the challenges that lead to significant time and effort in the development of web-based conversational VHs. Based on our findings, we propose a framework that uses Web3D formats and has the potential to address identified challenges in the rapid development of web-based conversational VH systems

Harnessing personal smart tools for enhanced STEM education: exploring IoT integration

In the realm of STEM education, various computer-based methodologies have been employed to invigorate student motivation, personalize learning experiences, and elevate the overall quality of education. However, the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and smart tools for measuring parameters during educational research processes has garnered insufficient attention thus far. This neglect becomes all the more pronounced in light of the burgeoning popularity of personal smartwatches and bands among individuals. In this study, we develop innovative techniques for incorporating personal smart tools into STEM classes and research endeavors. By employing the Colmi Land 1, Xiaomi Mi Band, Samsung Smart Fitness Band, and Xiaomi Mi Smart Scale as testbeds, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation using the As Is – To Be Business Process Model and Notation method. The findings substantiate that our proposed methods exhibit superior efficacy compared to conventional educational processes. Moreover, this paper represents a pioneering effort in describing and offering ready-to-use techniques for utilizing personalized smart tools to measure parameters during experiments within educational contexts

Comparison of Google Lens recognition performance with other plant recognition systems

In the context of the STEM approach to education, motivating pupils through tailored research and leveraging IT in the classroom is relevant. The justification of these approaches hasn't received much examination, though. The purpose of the study is to support the decision to use an AR-plant recognition application to give tailored instruction throughout both extracurricular activities and the school day. Every phase of an app's interaction with a user was examined and used to categorize every app. Also described were the social settings of the applications and how they were used for extracurricular activities. There has been discussion on the didactics of using AR recognition apps in biology classes. A survey of experts in digital education regarding the ease of installation, the friendliness of the interface, and the accuracy of image processing was conducted to give usability analysis. Applications were examined for their ability to accurately identify plants on the "Dneprovskiy district of Kiev" list in order to assess the rationale of usage. It has been established that Google Lens is the best option. As an alternative to Seek or Flora Incognita, according to the analysis's findings, these apps were less accurate