Dynamic characteristics of mental models and dynamic visual displays

Mental models are hypothetical constructs for explaining human cognitive processes of understanding external reality, translating the reality into internal representation and utilizing it in problem solving. Three experiments were conducted to investigate important characteristics of mental models, their influence on task performance, and instructional strategies facilitating their formation. The experiments were conducted in computer-based training environments designed to teach troubleshooting electronic logic circuits. The results suggested: (a) dynamic characteristics of mental models are important for solving problems if understanding functional behaviors of the system is required to perform the task; (b) dynamic characteristics of mental models are determined primarily by subjects' understanding of the system features and functions more than by the visually presented training contents of the system; and (c) motion simulating system functions in visual displays is more effective than static visual displays in facilitating the formation of dynamic characteristics of mental models. Consequently, dynamic visual displays are more effective than static visual displays for teaching electronic troubleshooting skills. These findings provide direct implications for the development of training programs.     

Selective use of animation and feedback in computer-based instruction

The effects of two computer-based instructional strategies—visual display and feedback type—were investigated in the acquisition of electronic troubleshooting skills. Animation was used to simulate the functional behaviors of electronic circuits and to demonstrate the troubleshooting procedures. The first hypothesis tested was that animated visual displays would be more effective than static visual displays if animation was selectively used to support the specific learning requirements of a given task. Results supported this hypothesis by showing that college students in the animated visual display condition needed significantly fewer trials than those in the static visual display condition. The second hypothesis was that the effectiveness of intentionally mediated feedback (knowledge of results or explanatory information) would be minimal if natural feedback—the system's automatic functional reaction to external inputs—was available and the subject had the basic knowledge needed to understand the system functions. The results supported this hypothesis. Overall, this study implies that instructional strategies, including visual displays and feedback, should be applied selectively based on the specific learning requirements of a given task. he works at ARI as a research fellow of the Universities of the Washington Metropolitan area. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not express or imply the views of the U. S. Army Research Institute or the Department of Defense. The authors would like to thank Eric C. Neiderman and Reginald Hopkins for their assistance with this study.     

Visual displays and contextual presentations in computer-based instruction

The effects of two instructional strategies, visual display and contextual presentation, were investigated in the acquisition of electronic troubleshooting skills using computer-based instruction. Three types of visual displays (animation, static graphics with motion cues, and static graphics without motion cues) were used to represent structures and functions of electronic circuits and trouble-shooting procedures. The first hypothesis was that animation would be more effective than static graphics, but that static graphics with adequate motional cues representing the dynamic aspects of the task would accomplish results similar to animation. Results supported this hypothesis. The second hypothesis was that context-dependent instruction would be more efficient than context-independent instruction for solving problems in similar contexts, but that context independent instruction would be more effective in solving problems encountered in different contexts. The results supported this hypothesis. A general conclusion of this study is that the use of visual displays and contextual presentation should be based on the learning requirements of the task and the expected roles of the strategy in the learning.When this study was conducted, he was with the U.S. Army Research Institute. The opinions expressed herein are the author's and do not express or imply the views of the U.S. Department of Education or the U.S. Army Research Institute.     

Do Preschool Children Recognize Auditory-Visual Numerical Correspondences?

The present study investigated the ability of 3- and 4-year-old children to perform tasks which require matching sets of sounds to numerically equivalent visual displays. We found that 3-year-olds performed at chance on the auditory-visual matching task, while 4-year-olds performed significantly above chance. There is evidence that mastery of the linguistic counting system is related to success on this task. These findings are unexpected given previous research reporting that 6–8-month-olds can detect the numerical equivalence between a set of sounds and items in a visual display.     

Using Static and Dynamic Visuals to Represent Chemical Change at Molecular Level

The study examines the effectiveness of visually enhanced instruction that emphasizes molecular representations. Instructional conditions were specified in terms of the visual elaboration level (static and dynamic) and the presentation mode (whole class and individual). Fifty‐two eighth graders (age range 14–15 years) participated in one of the three instructional conditions (dynamic–individual, dynamic–whole class, and static–whole class) designed to improve molecular understanding on chemical change. The results indicated significantly higher performance for students who used dynamic visuals compared with those who used static visuals. Furthermore, students who used dynamic visuals on an individual basis were more consistent in their use of molecular representations compared with students who received whole‐class instruction with dynamic or static visuals. The results favour the use of dynamic visuals (preferably on an individual basis) over static visuals when presenting molecular representations. The results also imply that the effectiveness of instruction will improve if teachers challenge and question the inconsistencies and contradictions between verbal explanations and corresponding molecular representations     

Domain expertise and the effectiveness of dynamic simulator interfaces in the acquisition of procedural motor skills

Previous research into the effectiveness of dynamic versus static instructional design paradigms has reported divergent findings. Dynamic instructions have been shown to be more effective in teaching novel procedural skills. In contrast, the apparent benefit of dynamic over static instructions has been attributed in other studies to the cognitive capabilities and previous knowledge of the learner. Can the benefit of dynamic instruction persist in learners with domain expertise on learning novel tasks? In this paper, we report the result of an experiment that shows that irrespective of the learner's previous knowledge, dynamic instructions retain a significant effectiveness over statics for teaching intra‐domain novel task performance. Twenty‐four participants with domain expertise were divided into three independent groups to perform a procedural motor task following treatment with different training interfaces. After controlling for spatial abilities and excluding previous specific‐to‐task knowledge, we observe that participants that trained with interfaces containing dynamic content recorded better task performance measures than others using non‐dynamic interfaces. This suggest that within the context of motor skill acquisition, dynamic instructional interfaces can yield significant increases to post‐learning task performance measures, which is independent of the learner's cognitive capabilities or previous knowledge.     

How Visual Displays Affect Cognitive Processing

We regularly consult and construct visual displays that are intended to communicate important information. The power of these displays and the instructional messages we attempt to comprehend when using them emerge from the information included in the display and by their spatial arrangement. In this article, we identify common types of visual displays and the kinds of inferences that each type of display is designed to promote. In particular, we outline different types of semantic and pictorial displays. Then, we describe four main ways in which visual displays can affect cognitive processing including selection, organization, integration, and processing efficiency and how semantic and pictorial displays support these types of processing. We conclude with seven recommendations for designing visual displays and possible directions for future research.     

Finding Direction When the Ground Is Moving: Science Education Research in South Africa

Dynamic visualisations capture aspects of scientific phenomena that are difficult to communicate in static materials and benefit from well-designed scaffolds to succeed in classrooms. We review research to clarify the impacts of dynamic visualisations and to identify instructional scaffolds that mediate their success. We use meta-analysis to synthesise 47 independent comparisons between dynamic and static materials and 76 comparisons that test the effect of specific instructional scaffolds. These studies show that dynamic visualisations are better than static visuals at promoting conceptual inferences about science, consistent with the success of inquiry instruction in science. To realise this potential of dynamic visualisations, instruction needs to help students use the dynamic visualisation to make sense of their own ideas. Scaffolds that are most successful include prompts for reflection, prompts to distinguish among parts of the visualisation, visual cues that identify salient features, multiple visualisations presented sequentially, and interactive features that govern the pacing of activities. We extract guidelines from this research to help researchers plan future studies of visualisations, designers create and refine instructional materials using visualisations, and practitioners customise instruction that features visualisations.     

Applying the modality principle to real-time feedback and the acquisition of higher-order cognitive skills

Effectively presenting complex material is a crucial component of instructional design within simulation-based training (SBT) environments. One approach to facilitate the acquisition of higher-order knowledge is to embed instructional strategies within the systems themselves. Currently, however, there are few established guidelines to inform developers how best to implement such strategies. In response, this study aims to explore the presentation of one such strategy—feedback—during SBT of a complex decision-making task. Specifically, this study extends past research on the modality principle of multimedia learning by comparing the use of spoken- versus printed-text real-time feedback in an SBT environment. During two primarily visual training scenarios, participants received spoken-text (Spoken Group), printed-text (Printed Group), or no feedback (Control Group) based on their performance. Results indicated that the Spoken Group demonstrated greater decision-making performance during training and assessment compared to the Printed Group. These findings are consistent with those of past research and suggest that the modality principle can be extended to the presentation of real-time feedback during SBT of higher-order cognitive skills.     

Improving comprehension of expository text in students with LD: a research synthesis

This article summarizes the findings of research studies designed to improve the comprehension of expository text for students with learning disabilities. Twenty-nine studies were located that met the inclusion criteria. Interventions gleaned from the review were categorized as content enhancement (i.e., advance and graphic organizers, visual displays, mnemonic illustrations, and computer-assisted instruction) or cognitive strategy instruction (i.e., text structure, main idea identification, summarization, questioning, cognitive mapping, reciprocal teaching). Treatment outcomes are discussed in relation to the various instructional approaches, student characteristics (e.g., grade, IQ), instructional features (e.g., materials, treatment length), methodological features, strategy maintenance, and generalization components. Implications for classroom practice and future research directions are provided.     

An analysis of a decade of research in 10 instructional design and technology journals

In this paper, we review findings from an analysis of the past decade (2001–10) of research in 10 major journals in the field of instructional design and technology. Each research paper published in these journals during this decade was categorized according to its focus or methodology, topical keywords, authorship and citation trends; and the findings were aggregated across all of the journals to show trends over the last decade. We found there is a strong emphasis on technology‐related issues, distance education, communication strategies and instructional methods over cognitive‐related topics and learning issues. There is a strong history of theoretical inquiry and a fairly even balance of qualitative and quantitative research being published, with other research methods emerging. However, there are distinct differences in methodological stances among the journals. We also found some evidence that the Institute for Scientific Information Impact Factor may not be the best indicator of impact quality for journals in our field.     

What Is the Value of Graphical Displays in Learning?

The article reviews studies that explain the role of graphical displays in learning and synthesizes relevant findings into principles for effective graphical design. Three theoretical perspectives provide the framework that organizes the review: dual coding theory, visual argument, and conjoint retention. The three theories are compatible although they are based on different assumptions. Research suggests that graphics are effective learning tools only when they allow readers to interpret and integrate information with minimum cognitive processing. Learners' characteristics, such as prior subject-matter knowledge, visuospatial ability, and strategies, influence graphic processing and interact with graphical design to mediate its effects. Future research should investigate the interplay between display and learner characteristics and how graphical design can address individual differences in learning from graphics.     

Matching/mismatching revisited: an empirical study of learning and teaching styles

This paper presents results of a research project that explored the relationship between matching and mismatching instructional presentation style (breadth-first and depth-first) with students' cognitive style (field-dependence/-independence) in a computer-based learning environment. 73 postgraduate students were asked to create Web pages using HTML, using instructional materials that were either matched or mismatched with their cognitive styles. Significant differences in performance on a multiple choice test of conceptual knowledge were found for students learning in matched and mismatched conditions. Performance in matched conditions was significantly superior to that in mismatched conditions. However, significant effects were found for gender, matching mainly affecting male students. Performance on a practical test of Web page creation was not linked to matching or mismatching, but was linked to an interaction between gender and instructional presentation style. The findings provide support for the notion that matching and mismatching can have significant effects on learning outcomes. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research.     

Spatial ability and transformational geometry

New technologies in education are placing more emphasis upon visual and spatial skills, those required to inspect, encode, transform, and construct information in visual displays. They do this by presenting students with learning material embedded in complex visual displays and hypermedia, and by requiring students to navigate through virtual space. These developments make it important for us to learn more about the underlying nature of visuospatial ability, how it is related to academic performance, and how it can be improved. This paper explores these issues in the context of instruction in transformational geometry upon geometry performance and spatial ability of Grade 7/8 students. The instructional conditions were (a) a traditional textbook approach involving paper-and-pencil tasks and verbal instruction (Traditional Group), and (b) an approach incorporating object manipulation, and visual imagery, which was designed to encourage spatial thinking (Spatial Group). Multiple regression results indicated that posttest geometry performance was predicted by pretest geometry, pretest spatial ability, and the interaction of pretest geometry and instructional condition; the interaction indicated that high prior knowledge subjects performed better in the Spatial group, low prior knowledge subjects in the Traditional group. Posttest spatial ability was predicted by handedness, pretest geometry, pretest spatial ability, and the interaction of pretest spatial ability and handedness; the interaction indicated that less right-handed subjects of low spatial ability improved on spatial ability more than their more right-handed peers.     

Limits of dynamic object perception in pigeons: Dynamic stimulus presentation does not enhance perception and discrimination of complex shape

A go/no-go procedure was used to train pigeons to discriminate pictures of human faces differing only in shape, with either static images or movies of human faces dynamically rotating in depth. On the basis of experimental findings in humans and some earlier studies on three-dimensional object perception in pigeons, we expected dynamic stimulus presentation to support the pigeon’s perception of the complex morphology of a human face. However, the performance of the subjects presented with movies was either worse than (AVI format movies) or did not differ from (uncompressed dynamic presentation) that of the subjects trained with a single or with multiple static images of the faces. Furthermore, generalization tests to other presentation conditions and to novel static views revealed no promoting effect of dynamic training. Except for the subjects trained on multiple static views, performance dropped to chance level with views outside the training range. These results are in contrast to some prior reports from the literature, since they suggest that pigeons, unlike humans, have difficulty using the additional structural information provided by the dynamic presentation and integrating the multiple views into a three-dimensional object.     

The cross-lagged associations between classroom interactions and children’s achievement behaviors

This study examined the cross-lagged associations between the quality of classroom interactions and children’s behaviors in achievement situations. The achievement behaviors in challenging test situations of 166 Finnish children from 70 classrooms were rated by trained testers in grades 1 and 2. The quality of classroom interactions in terms of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support were observed in 25 classrooms (out of 70) in grades 1 and 2. The results of multilevel modeling showed that classroom teachers’ low emotional support predicted children’s subsequent high passive avoidance, whereas high classroom organization and instructional support predicted children’s high social dependence. Furthermore, the more children showed active task avoidance, the more emotional and instructional support and classroom organization teachers showed later on in the classroom. The findings emphasize the importance of warm and supportive classroom interactions for children’s adaptive achievement behaviors. The results also suggest that teachers adapt their classroom interactions with respect to children’s active task avoidance.     

Snapshots of student-teachers' experiences of DVDs in a learner support programme in a developing ODL context

Abstract

The School of Continuing Teacher Education (SCTE) in South Africa delivers an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) Learner Support Programme to Open Distance Learning (ODL) students in Namibia, a developing sub-Saharan African country. This paper examines the experiences of student-teachers using DVDs included in the tutorial package. Fifteen participants from rural and remote areas of Namibia took part in a semi-structured focus group and individual interviews. A first phase analysis identified a set of codes and categories that guided the researchers to two themes to using DVDs: frustration and attitude. Student-teachers' frustration and attitude towards DVDs are linked to sufficient appropriate information, also available as a paper-based tutorial package. Although electronic learning material can assist in achieving curriculum goals and enrich students' learning experiences, students' expectations are paramount in the design and development of instructional DVDs.