Interactive Example-Based Learning Environments: Using Interactive Elements to Encourage Effective Processing of Worked Examples

This review describes parts of our research program on example-based learning that relates to recent efforts to incorporate interactive elements into learning environments designed to support learning from worked-out examples. Since most learners spontaneously study or process examples in a very passive or superficial manner, this review focuses on how a variety of specific interactive elements in example-based leaning environments are capable of encouraging learners to actively process the examples. The review begins with an overview of the literature on worked examples and the associated self-explanation, which is important given that the quality of self-explanation is a major factor in determining whether learners benefit from studying examples. The review notes that example-based learning environments tend to be effective but often promote passive processing. It then highlights the strengths and limitations of three types interactivity introduced to example-based learning environments. The review concludes with a discussion of the role that these interactive elements play in these learning environments.     

Example-based learning: The benefits of prompting organization before providing examples

Example-based learning often follows a design in which learners first receive instructional explanations that communicate new principles and concepts and second examples thereof. In this setting, using the knowledge components of the instructional explanations to explain the examples (i.e., generating principle-based self-explanations) is considered to be a highly important learning process. However, a potential suboptimality of this learning process is that it scarcely requires learners to organize the content of the instructional explanations into coherent mental representations. Thus, in two experiments we investigated whether prompting learners to organize the content of the instructional explanations before providing them with the examples (and self-explanation prompts) enhances the effectiveness of example-based learning. We consistently found that organization prompts fostered learning regardless of whether the learners also received self-explanation prompts. Hence, in example-based learning, learners should be prompted to not only generate principle-based self-explanations but also to organize the content of the instructional explanations.     

基于建构主义的师生互动教学实践

建构主义认为，学习不单是知识由外到内的转移和传递，而是学习主动地建构自己的知识经验的过程，学生不是被动的信息吸收，相反，他要主动地建构信息的意义，这种建构离不开教师的指导，但又不可能由教师代替。与这一观点相适应，教学也必须要把焦点从教师转到学生，从教师中心转到师生互动。因此，在高校教学中在系统讲授的前提下可尝试运用问题讨论、分组活动、角色扮演、小课题作业等学生积极参与的教学方法，帮助学生实践自主学习，将课堂还给学生，让学生成为自主学习。同时要防止陷入“学生中心”的认识误区。     

The impact of text coherence on learning by self-explanation

Previous research has shown that encouraging learners to explain material to themselves as they study can increase their understanding. Furthermore, different types of material (e.g. text or diagrams) influence learners’ self-explanation behaviour. This study explores whether the coherence of text impacts upon the self-explanation effect. Forty-eight low-knowledge learners (university students) learnt about the circulatory system with text that was designed to be either maximally or minimally coherent. Half of these learners also received self-explanation training. Results showed that learners given maximally coherent text learnt more, as did learners who self-explained. However, this was not because coherent text increased self-explaining. Instead minimally coherent text significantly increased the number of self-explanations that learners made. It is suggested that self-explaining in the minimal text condition served to compensate for weaknesses and gaps in the text, whereas self-explaining in the maximal text condition may have led learners to detect flaws in their mental models and repair them. Consequently, rather than providing a minimally coherent text which compels low knowledge learners to self-explain to overcome its deficits, we should instead encourage learners to self-explain from well structured and explicit text.     

Learning mathematics from worked-out examples: Analyzing and fostering self-explanations

Recent research has shown that learning from worked-out examples is of major importance for initial skill acquisition in well-structured domains such as mathematics. However, only those learners who actively process the presented examples profit noticeably from this learning mode. Specifically, the learning outcomes depend on how well the learners explain the solution steps presented in the examples to themselves (‘self-explanation effect”). In a series of studies on learning mathematics from examples, learners’ spontaneous self-explanations and instructional means used to encourage self-explanations were investigated. In this research, the following main findings were obtained. Most learners were rather passive with respect to their spontaneous self-explanations. Among the active and successful learners, two subgroups employing different self-explanation styles could be identified. With regard to the instructional means used to induce effective example processing, it turned out that to employ “learning by teaching” in order to stimulate explanation activities was of very limited use. Attempts to directly train for or elicit certain types of self-explanations were more successful. However, even in the latter case, self-explanations had inherent deficits (e.g., proneness to errors). Thus, we sought to design learning arrangements that try to integrate self-explanations with well-timed and well-adapted instructional explanations (e.g., from tutors) in order to enhance students’ problem-solving skills.     

Promoting Constructive Activities that Support Vicarious Learning During Computer-Based Instruction

This article explores several ways computer-based instruction can be designed to support constructive activities and promote deep-level comprehension during vicarious learning. Vicarious learning, discussed in the first section, refers to knowledge acquisition under conditions in which the learner is not the addressee and does not physically interact in any way with the source of the content to be mastered. The second section describes cognitive constructivism from the standpoint of schema theory and the work of Bartlett (1932). The next section describes four principles of curriculum design that support constructive processes during vicarious learning and reviews the process of self-explanation and how computer prompted self-explanation supports constructive activities. Research showing the important role that overhearing deep-level reasoning questions plays in supporting constructive activities and deep-level learning is also described. In the next section, vicarious learning supported by deep-level reasoning questions is contrasted with tutoring as one kind of interactive learning. In the final section, some conclusions are drawn, a few empirical issues are discussed, and two caveats are noted.     

Learning strategies for making sense out of expository text: The SOI model for guiding three cognitive processes in knowledge construction

This article examines learning strategies that promote meaningful learning from expository text as evidenced by problem-solving transfer. The teaching of learning strategies involves decisions concerning what to teach, how to teach, where to teach, and when to teach. The teaching of learning strategies also depends on the teacher's conception of learners as response strengtheners, information processors, or sense makers. Three cognitive processes involved in meaningful learning are selecting relevant information from what is presented, organizing selected information into a coherent representation, and integrating presented information with existing knowledge. Finally, exemplary programs for teaching of learning strategies are presented. The most effective method for teaching students how to make sense out of expository text is for students to participate in selecting, organizing, and integrating information within the context of authentic academic tasks.     

Educating and Measuring Choice: A Test of the Transfer of Design Thinking in Problem Solving and Learning

Educators aim to equip students with learning strategies they can apply when approaching new problems on their own. Teaching design-thinking strategies may support this goal. A first test would show that the strategies are good for learning and that students spontaneously transfer them beyond classroom instruction. To examine this, we introduce choice-based assessments (CBAs). CBAs measure how people learn when there is minimal guidance and they must make decisions as independent learners. Here, sixth-grade students completed multiple design activities that emphasized either seeking constructive criticism or exploring a space of alternatives. Afterward, they completed the CBAs, which measured strategy transfer. Results showed that lower-achieving students benefitted most from instruction, exhibiting a relative increase in their use of design-thinking strategies. In addition, strategy choices correlated with prior achievement measures and appeared to mediate performance in and learning from the CBAs. The choices to use the two strategies themselves were not correlated, which indicates that they are not subsets of a larger construct, such as growth mindset. In sum, CBAs enabled a double demonstration: design-thinking strategies may improve learning and problem solving, and design-thinking instruction may improve the likelihood of lower-achieving students choosing to use effective strategies in novel settings that require new learning.     

对自我解释研究的分析

自我解释是学生在学习过程中自己向自己解释学习内容的知识获得过程。该文解释了“自我解释”的含义、总结了自我解释的类型、比较了几种自我解释产生的认知机制、归纳了影响因素,从而提出了关于自我解释需要进一步研究的未来问题。     

应对策略培训:学生学习支持的新途径

成人在职学生通过网络接受远程教育时需要知识管理策略(knowledge management strategies),其中最核心的应对策略包括基本的资源库整理技能以及时间管理策略(技能)。应对策略的最佳教授方式主要是学生之间的相互辅导(peer-to-peer tutoring),虽然对于接受同学指导的学生而言,他们不能在学习上取得明显进步,但对于提供指导的学生而言,他们在以元认知的方式(meta-cognitively)进行自我辅导(self-tutoring)后,学习效果显著,学习成绩大幅提高。另外,高年级学生能够帮助低年级学生构建并运用个人知识管理体系,特别能在时间管理、信息搜寻与信息提取等方面提供指导。     

Can learning from molar and modular worked examples be enhanced by providing instructional explanations and prompting self-explanations?

In two experiments we explored how learning from traditional molar worked-out examples—focusing on problem categories and their associated overall solution procedures—as well as from more efficient modular worked-out examples—where intrinsic cognitive load is reduced by breaking down complex solutions into smaller meaningful solution elements—can be further enhanced. Instructional explanations or self-explanation prompts were administered to increase germane cognitive load. However, both interventions were not effective for learning and prompting for self-explanations even impaired learning with modular examples. In the latter case, prompting might have forced learners to process redundant information, which they had already sufficiently understood.     

碎片化学习视域下基于智能手机的大学生移动学习认知研究

远程教育中采用移动学习方式是顺势而为,基于智能手机的移动学习有助于学习者将一点一滴的碎片化时间利用起来,极大地提高学习者的学习效率,促进学习者对知识的主动建构,成为传统课堂教学的有效补充和优化,同时将手机作为直播机,亦可解决远程学习者无法亲临现场学习难题。本文以大学生为研究主体,运用编制的测量工具获取在校大学生利用智能手机进行移动学习数据,然后综合采用曼一惠特尼U检验、克鲁斯卡尔一沃利斯检验、单一样本t检验等方法,认知大学生对使用智能手机支持学习过程的观点、态度及其影响因素并提出有效解决策略,以期研究成果不仅能够有助于大学生有效开展移动学习而且还可为远程教育采用移动学习方式提供可行参考依据。     

Development of a ubiquitous learning platform based on a real‐time help‐seeking mechanism

The popularity of mobile devices has encouraged the advance of ubiquitous learning, in which students are situated in a real‐world learning environment with support from the digital world via the use of mobile, wireless communications, or even sensing technologies. Most of the ubiquitous learning systems are implemented with high‐cost sensing devices for detecting the locations or behaviours of learners; moreover, these systems mainly focus on providing learning guidance or learning materials, while facilities for supporting mutual help among students are usually ignored. In this study, we propose a context‐aware ubiquitous learning platform (CULP) which uses low‐cost cell phones with embedded cameras and Internet service to support ubiquitous learning. CULP is able to provide instant support for learners in the ubiquitous learning activity; that is, learners can receive help from the right people via the hints given by the learning system when they encounter problems during their learning activities. The experimental results of a Personal Computer‐Assembling course show that, with the assistance of the new learning platform, both the learning efficiency and the learning achievement of the students were significantly improved.     

Design of Support Tools for Knowledge Building in a Virtual University Course

In a WWW-based virtual learning environment where students and teachers are physically separated, the quantity and quality of interaction among students and with instructors affects learning. Lack of constructive activity is often identified as one of the major causes for poor learning. We developed support tools (prompts which support students to use self-explanation and self-monitoring strategies) and studied how support tools facilitate convergent knowledge building processes in a WWW-based virtual university engineering course. A quasi-experimental study was designed. An engineering class of a virtual university was selected as the research site and the students in the class were randomly assigned to two different work environments: (1) without support tools, and (2) with support tools. This study has an implication for theory that the opportunity to engage in interaction itself is not enough for students to either integrate knowledge or develop/improve the coordination of group work in an online learning environment. Frequent interaction with their peers is not enough either for students to integrate knowledge or develop/improve coordination of group work in an online learning environment. The type of interaction matters, especially because convergent type of interaction facilitates students' knowledge integration.     

The Interaction Between Methods of Instruction and Individual Learning Style

Individual learning differences under competitive and co‐operative methods of instruction were investigated. It was hypothesised that: (a) students would learn more when the method was matched to the student's preference and that (b) the co‐operative (and tutorial) methods would promote more favourable attitudes toward peer students. One hundred and thirty‐two female students participated in the experiment. In the first part of the experiment they were asked to state their preferences and in the second part, half of the students received their preferred method of instruction. Both hypotheses were confirmed. In addition, it was found that students who preferred competition had better initial knowledge of the material, learned more during the learning experience and held somewhat less favourable attitudes toward their peers. The analysis of the results suggests that the interaction between goal, individual, subject‐matter and learning methods needs to be taken into account when determining an optimal method of instruction.     

The role of decorative pictures in learning

Three experiments with students from 7th and 8th grade were performed to investigate the effects of decorative pictures in learning as compared to instructional pictures. Pictures were considered as instructional, when they were primarily informative, and as decorative, when they were primarily aesthetically appealing. The experiments investigated, whether and to what extent decorative pictures affect the learner’s distribution of attention, whether they have an effect on the affective and motivational state and whether they affect the learning outcomes. The first experiment indicated with eye-tracking methodology that decorative pictures receive only a bit initial attention as part of the learner’s initial orientation and are largely ignored afterwards, which suggests that they have only a minor distracting effect if any. The second experiment showed that despite the small amount of attention they receive, decorative pictures seem to induce better mood, alertness and calmness with learners. The third experiment indicated that decorative pictures did not intensify students’ situational interest, but reduced perceived difficulty of the learning material. Regarding outcomes of learning, decorative pictures were altogether neither harmful nor beneficial for learning. However, they moderated the beneficial effect of instructional pictures––in essence: the multimedia effect. The moderating effect was especially pronounced when learners had lower prior knowledge. The findings are discussed from the perspective of cognitive, affective and motivational psychology. Perspectives of further research are pointed out.     

回译——自主学习之友

建构主义学习理论要求学习者通过自主学习积极建构知识。问题在于,在缺乏教师指导的情况下,学习者对于如何自主学习茫然无措。在具体的教学与辅导过程中,可以发现,回译是一种行之有效的方式,它可以提高学习者的学习兴趣,提高记忆效率,加强学习者的英汉对比意识,克服中式英语,还能鼓励学习者在课外进行自主学习,不断提高表达能力。因此,不同层次的学习者,在不同的学习阶段,都可以通过不同方式的回译练习提高英语语言能力。     

Tutors’ assessment practices and students’ situated learning in higher education: chalk and cheese

This article uses situated learning theory to consider current tutor assessment and feedback practices in relation to learning practices employed by students outside the overt curriculum. The case is made that an emphasis on constructive alignment and explicitly articulating assessment requirements within curricula may be misplaced. Outside of the overt curriculum students appear to be interdependent learners, participating in communities of practice and learning networks, where sense-making occurs through negotiation and there is identity development. Such negotiation may translate curriculum requirements articulated by tutors into unexpected meanings. Hence, tutors’ efforts might be better placed on developing students’ ability to self-assess and to effectively evaluate and negotiate information, rather than primarily on their own delivery of the curriculum content and feedback. Tutors cannot be fully effective if they fail to consider students’ learning outside the overt curriculum, and ways to facilitate such learning processes are suggested together with future research directions.     

Effectiveness of Computer-Based Chemistry Instruction in Enhancing the Learning of Content and Variable Control Under Guided Versus Unguided Conditions

Computerized learning environments offer several possibilities that can be used to improve the teaching of content along with the process. Research indicates that students benefit from additional guidance, particularly when computer-based instruction requires active construction of knowledge. This study examines the relative effectiveness of guided versus unguided computer-based instruction with respect to regular instruction in improving content knowledge and process skills among students with low and high chemistry achievement levels. The results indicate that the effectiveness of computer-based instruction increases when learning is supported by teacher-directed guidance. Computer-based instruction (with or without guidance) was observed to be more effective than regular instruction in improving process skills particularly for students with high chemistry achievement. However, although the students who received regular or guided computer-based instruction showed significant gains in content knowledge, students under unguided condition failed to construct the expected content knowledge.     

论学生自主减负

"减负提质"是我国教育改革的重要任务。当前存在过于依赖外在减负而导致减负实效不高的现实。自主减负是指学生通过优化学习过程与方法而对学业负担进行自我调节,进而创造"量力负担"并实现学习质量提升的一种减负方式。自主减负的理论分析与实践探索表明其在实现"减负提质"过程中的可行性与有效性。