Notebookeinsatz beim selbstgesteuerten Lernen. Mehrwert für Motivation, Lernklima und Qualität des Lernens?

In einer empirischen Studie mit 152 TeilnehmerInnen eines einsemestrigen Softwarepraktikums wurde untersucht, welche Zusammenhänge zwischen dem Notebookeinsatz in einem universitätsweiten Funknetz und der Qualität selbstgesteuerten Lernens bestehen. Eingenommen wurde eine intrapsychische Perspektive auf die subjektive Interpretation der ubiquitären Lernsituation und die individuellen Parameter des Lernens. Die Ergebnisse zeigen Vorteile des Notebookeinsatzes für das selbstgesteuerte Lernen. Die Effekte fielen beim Erleben von Autonomie beim Lernen verhältnismäßig groß, bei Lernklima, Motivation und Lern-Leistung nur klein bis moderat aus. Darüber hinaus zeigte sich, dass die beobachtbar veränderten Nutzungsmuster ohne Einfluss auf die Qualität des Lernens waren. Zusammenhänge mit der Lern-Leistung zeigten sich dagegen mit Motivation und Lernklima. Auf der Basis dieser Befunde werden in diesem Beitrag Implikationen für die Gestaltung von Lernkontexten an einer Notebook-Universität diskutiert. (DIPF/Orig.

Changes in Achievement Motivation among University Freshmen

Changes in achievement motivation over the first semester of university studies were examined with N = 229 freshmen, who were surveyed twice in the present study. Students’ academic self-concepts, achievement goals, and subjective values were chosen as theoretically central components of achievement motivation. The results indicated significant deterioration in achievement motivation over the course of the first semester of university studies, a phenomenon which affected a large proportion of the first-year students. Regression analyses provided evidence that motivation, prior to the start of university studies, and the changes in motivation had incremental validity over measures of prior school-achievement in predicting self-regulated learning, performance in examinations, as well as the intention to change university majors or drop out completely (partially in interaction with prior school-achievement)

Metacognitive monitoring via strategies and judgments

Metacognitive monitoring is conceptualized as a situation-specific and context-dependent process that helps learners to regulate their learning. The current study builds on the idea that metacognitive monitoring can fulfil monitoring functions in different phases (when to monitor: during learning or during testing), and that it refers to several objects (what to monitor: processing or retrieval). The cross-sectional study with 184 higher-education students used a situation-specific approach and referred to students’ monitoring via monitoring strategies and monitoring judgments during test preparation and test processing. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that monitoring via strategies and judgments can be directed at different objects. In addition, monitoring different objects was more strongly correlated within the same phase than across different phases. The study results emphasize the need for an object-specific and comprehensive consideration of metacognitive monitoring via monitoring strategies and monitoring judgments

Structure and relationships of university instructors' achievement goals

The present study examines the achievement goals of university instructors, particularly the structure of such goals, and their relationship to biographic characteristics, other aspects of instructors’ motivation, and teaching quality. Two hundred and fifty-one university instructors (184 without PhD, 97 with PhD, thereof 51 full professors; 146 males, 92 females) answered a questionnaire measuring achievement goals, self-efficacy, and enthusiasm in altogether 392 courses. Teaching quality was assessed using reports from 9,241 students who were attending these courses. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed mastery, performance approach, performance avoidance, work avoidance, and relational goals as being distinguishable from each other. Distinct relationships were found between different instructors’ achievement goals, and gender, age, and career status as well as self-efficacy and enthusiasm. Hierarchical linear models suggested positive associations of instructors’ mastery goals with teaching quality, while negative associations were indicated for performance avoidance goals and work avoidance goals in relation to teaching quality. Exploratory analyses conducted due to a quite large correlation between performance approach and performance avoidance goals indicated that for university instructors, differentiating performance goals into appearance and normative components might also be adequate. All in all, the study highlights the auspiciousness of the theoretical concept of university instructors’ achievement goals and contributes to making it comprehensively accessible

Changing preservice teacher students' stereotypes and attitudes and reducing judgment biases concerning students of different family backgrounds: effects of a short intervention

Numerous empirical findings have shown biased judgments of (future) teachers depending on students’ ethnic and social background. Furthermore, research has indicated that (future) teachers’ stereotypes and attitudes differ depending on students’ backgrounds and appear to influence (future) teachers’ judgments. Based on theories of stereotype change, attitude change, and judgment formation, a short intervention was developed to change stereotypes and attitudes and to reduce judgment biases. In an experimental study (within- and between-subject design) with N = 215 preservice teacher students, the effectiveness of the intervention on stereotype change, attitude change, and reduction of judgment distortions was tested. The results showed hypothesized effects of the intervention on stereotypes and attitudes towards students with an immigration background and students with low social status. Furthermore, the intervention showed effects on preservice teacher students’ judgments, especially for low-status students

Relations between teachers' goal orientations, their instructional practices and student motivation

Relations between teachers’ goal orientations, their instructional practices as expressed in perceived class- room goal structures and students’ goal orientations were analyzed, focusing also on potential moderators. Results of a questionnaire study with 46 Mathematics teachers and their 930 students supported the as-sumption that teachers’ goal orientations affect their instructional practices and students’ goal orientations. These effects were, in part, moderated by teacher beliefs (implicit theories, self-efficacy beliefs). Overall, the results provided strong support for the notion that the mechanisms underlying these effects are based on the functionality of certain instructional practices for the attainment of teachers’ goals

Using natural language processing to support peer‐feedback in the age of artificial intelligence: a cross‐disciplinary framework and a research agenda

Advancements in artificial intelligence are rapidly increasing. The new-generation large language models, such as ChatGPT and GPT-4, bear the potential to transform educational approaches, such as peer-feedback. To investigate peer-feedback at the intersection of natural language processing (NLP) and educational research, this paper suggests a cross-disciplinary framework that aims to facilitate the development of NLP-based adaptive measures for supporting peer-feedback processes in digital learning environments. To conceptualize this process, we introduce a peer-feedback process model, which describes learners' activities and textual products. Further, we introduce a terminological and procedural scheme that facilitates systematically deriving measures to foster the peer-feedback process and how NLP may enhance the adaptivity of such learning support. Building on prior research on education and NLP, we apply this scheme to all learner activities of the peer-feedback process model to exemplify a range of NLP-based adaptive support measures. We also discuss the current challenges and suggest directions for future cross-disciplinary research on the effectiveness and other dimensions of NLP-based adaptive support for peer-feedback. Building on our suggested framework, future research and collaborations at the intersection of education and NLP can innovate peer-feedback in digital learning environments