Freedom of Choice,Task Performance,and Task Persistence

Much current educational literature argues that providing the learner more freedom in the learning situation enhances the learning process. This experiment tested two relevant hypotheses: (1) Ss who freely choose a task will perform better at that task than Ss who are forced to do it; and (2) Ss who freely choose a task will persist longer at that task than those who are forced to do it. The experiment employed a yoked-8 design in which the first S chose to perform any of five tasks, while the second S was forced to perform that same task. The results supported only the second hypothesis. A suggested explanation of the effects of freedom of choice as a psychological variable was presented.     

Task motivation: Learner selection of intrinsic versus extrinsic orientations

The choice behavior of 24 college-age subjects within a computer problem-solving task was investigated as they controlled and selected problem difficulty levels which either maximized intrinsic interest or extrinsic reward. While playing a computerized version of the game Mastermind, subjects selected and attempted problems from a variety of difficulty levels during 18 15-minute sessions. Within selected periods of extrinsic reward availability, subjects were shown to select problems which were most efficiently solved, thus maximizing extrinsic reward; however, repeated task exposure produced selections that increased the task's challenge levels and its subsequent intrinsic interest. Following the removal of the extrinsic rewards, subjects immediately returned to their pre-reward intervention levels of difficulty.     

基于学习性投入理论的军校学情自我诊断

军队院校作为军事人才培养的主渠道,其人才培养质量关系到军事人才的总体素质和未来作战水平.评估是保障高等教育质量和提高办学水平的有效措施.学习性投入理论强调以学习者为中心、对学生就读经验进行评价的理念,相对外部资深评价观,更能击中教育质量的实质.基于此理论开发的NSSE调查工具,在运用时应遵循适应性、差异性和情境性原则,以构建适用于本校校情的诊断指标.学情诊断对深入查找高校本科教学中的问题、创新教育教学管理机制、丰富"院校研究"工具等,将产生深远影响.     

Self-Regulation and Task Engagement as Predictors of Emergent Language and Literacy Skills

Research Findings: A growing emphasis in the literature on children’s self-regulation signals the need for increased understanding of the ways in which young children become active players in the acquisition of knowledge. In particular, self-regulation may be linked to subsequent academic achievement through greater engagement with the learning tasks and activities made available in the preschool classroom. This study tested preschoolers’ (N = 603) observed task engagement in the classroom as mediating the relations between directly assessed self-regulation and changes in their language and literacy outcomes during the preschool year. Findings indicate that self-regulation is directly related to observed task engagement as well as changes in a host of language and literacy skills. Engagement with tasks and activities in the classroom also partially mediates the association between self-regulation and changes in expressive vocabulary. Mediation through task engagement was not found for receptive language or early literacy skills. Practice or Policy: Findings suggest that the development and evaluation of clearly articulated preschool curricula designed to promote academic achievement by fostering self-regulation is an important direction for future research.     

Processes Involving Perceived Instructional Support,Task Value,and Engagement in Graduate Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations among perceived instructional support (provision of relevance and involvement), subjective task value beliefs (utility, attainment, and intrinsic value), and engagement (behavioral and emotional) over the course of a semester for graduate students enrolled in an introductory research methods course in a college of education (N = 217). Structural equation modeling (SEM) results suggested that each source of perceived support exerted unique influence on students' beliefs about utility value, intrinsic value, and attainment value of their research methods coursework. In turn, midsemester value beliefs predicted semester-end student reports of behavioral and cognitive engagement. Direct and indirect effects between perceived provisions of support and engagement were inconsistent. This study supports the notion that different patterns of predictors and outcomes may occur for different aspects of value beliefs and that multiple sources of instructional support are important for supporting student motivation for adult learners.     

构建以前期任务、主要任务和后续评价为基础的英语教学模式培养学生的自主学习能力

采取书面考试和课上活动评估的办法,记录学生在英语学习过程中认知、情感和行为表现.从前期任务、主要任务、后续评价三个环节入手,注重培养和激发学生学习的积极性和自信心,培养学生的兴趣,增强学习动机和合作学习的精神,从而获得自主学习的能力.     

Consequence Choice and Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities: Effects on Academic Engagement

The difficulties students identified with emotional and behavior disabilities present sometimes strain inclusive educators. General education teachers often find themselves ill equipped to provide effective support for both students with and without disabilities. An effective intervention that may hold promise for included students with academic and behavior problems involves the use of choice; more specifically, consequence choice, which provides students with the ability to select their own reinforcement. The current study examined the effects of choice of reinforcement via a single-subject multielement design with baseline for four students with emotional disturbance or behavior disabilities educated in an inclusion setting. With an increase in task difficulty, the behavior of two students indicated a functional relation between engagement and choice and two additional students demonstrated a functional relation between the presence and absence of reinforcement. Students did not distinguish academic behavior across the course of the study. The difficulty level of the instructional material, as well as the perceived preference of the reinforcers may play a role in study outcomes. Future directions follow study limitations and implications for inclusion practitioners.     

Brain Engagement During a Cognitive Flexibility Task Relates to Academic Performance in English Learners

English Learners (ELs), students from non-English-speaking backgrounds, are a fast-growing, understudied, group of students in the U.S. with unique learning challenges. Cognitive flexibility—the ability to switch between task demands with ease—may be an important factor in learning for ELs as they have to manage learning in their non-dominant language and access knowledge in multiple languages. We used functional MRI to measure cognitive flexibility brain activity in a group of Hispanic middle school ELs (N = 63) and related it to their academic skills. We found that brain engagement during the cognitive flexibility task was related to both out-of-scanner reading and math measures. These relationships were observed across the brain, including in cognitive control, attention, and default mode networks. This work suggests the real-world importance of cognitive flexibility for adolescent ELs, where individual differences in brain engagement were associated with educational outcomes.     

Learner Analysis

In the past, more attempts had been made to explore the ways for teachers to teach English but fewer for learners to learn the language. Learner analysis is to analyze What the learner is", including age, attitude, motivation, intelligence, aptitude, personality , and etc, with the purpose to realize the transition from "teacher-centered ' into "learner-oriented".     

Learner Analysis

In the past, more attempts had been made to explore the ways for teachers to teach English but fewer for learners to learn the language. Learner analysis is to analyze What the learner is“, including age, attitude, motivation, intelligence, aptitude, personality , and etc, with the purpose to realize the transition from “teacher-centered ‘ into “learner-oriented“.     

大学英语研究性学习课题筛选探讨

研究性学习作为当前基础教育课程改革中出现的一种新理念,越来越成为人们的焦点话题.但是研究性学习的顺利开展取决于研究性课题的正确筛选,课题的筛选是研究性学习的第一步.本文着重探讨大学英语教学中研究性课题筛选的原则、要点及过程,以促进研究性学习的开展.     

Optimizing the Power of Choice: Supporting Student Autonomy to Foster Motivation and Engagement in Learning

Choice plays a critical role in promoting students' intrinsic motivation and deep engagement in learning. Across a range of academic outcomes and student populations, positive impacts have been seen when student autonomy is promoted through meaningful and personally relevant choice. This article presents a theoretical perspective on the motivational role of choice in learning, based on self‐determination theory. Theoretical principles and current research on student motivation and engagement are described. Conditions under which choice promotes students' intrinsic motivation are then presented.     

倡导自主性学习培养自主学习能力

随着语言教学越来越趋向于交际化,传统的语言教学模式受到挑战。“以学习者为中心”的新型教学模式将教学的重心从教师转向学生。这意味着学生将要承担更多的学习责任,必须具备较强的自主学习能力。该文简要介绍了自主性学习的定义及特征,并就如何在大学英语教学中培养学生的自主学习能力提出尝试性建议。     

The Existential Learner

We are all smart in different ways. Through the theory of multiple intelligences, Howard Gardner has been one of the leaders in cataloging HOW people are smart as opposed to how smart they ARE. The ability to see “the big picture” and make connections between similar and dissimilar concepts has been considered for inclusion in the multiple intelligences under the name “existential.” The author outlines characteristics of existential learners, the arguments for and against the inclusion of existential as a multiple intelligence, and classroom strategies that will help an existential learner succeed.     

论大英教学中学生自主学习能力的培养

本文简要介绍了自主学习的概念和内容以及可行性，论述了自主学习的要求和条件。本文认为可从培养学习者自身的学习意识、学习策略和动机以及教师的教学策略入手来切实培养和提高中国大学生的自主学习能力。     

学习观念与英语阅读

学习观念在学习中起着重要作用。本文从“阅读性质和目的”、“阅读策略”、“教师作用”和“学生角色”等方面调查了学生对学习大学英语阅读课持有的观念。调查发现,尽管多数学生对阅读的性质、目的有正确的认识,也知道应该使用的相应策略,但仍有相当一部分学生对教师和教学持有传统观念。作为教育工作者,我们应该在教学过程中引导学生,培养他们自主学习的能力。     

元认知策略与英语自主学习

培养学生自主学习的能力是大学英语教学的重要目标之一。而元认知策略是当今英语教学工作中的一个重要策略．元认知理论是培养学生思维,构建自主学习的一个重要教学理论．元认知、元认知策略已经避渐成为英语教学的重要内容。本文主要研讨如何在自主学习中通过元认知策略的培训,有效提高学生的英语自主学习能力。