Using educational data mining methods to assess field-dependent and field-independent learners’ complex problem solving

The present study investigated the problem-solving performance of 101 university students and their interactions with a computer modeling tool in order to solve a complex problem. Based on their performance on the hidden figures test, students were assigned to three groups of field-dependent (FD), field-mixed (FM), and field-independent (FI) learners, and were instructed to use integrated-format materials and Model-It^® in order to solve a problem about immigration policy. The results showed that there were significant differences among the three groups of learners in terms of their problem-solving performance. Consequently, the study employed educational data mining (EDM) methods in order to examine how FD and FI learners actually interacted with Model-It^® in order to solve the problem. The EDM methods provided rich analytical information and details about learners’ interactions with the computer tool. Implications for designing effective joint cognitive systems are discussed.     

Field dependence/independence cognitive style and problem posing: an investigation with sixth grade students

Field dependence/independence cognitive style was found to relate to general academic achievement and specific areas of mathematics; in the majority of studies, field-independent students were found to be superior to field-dependent students. The present study investigated the relationship between field dependence/independence cognitive style and problem-posing ability among sixth grade students. The 94 students’ sample was clustered into three groups, according to the cognitive-style field dependence/independence (field dependents, field mixed and field independents). The results suggest that field-independent participants outperformed field-mixed and field-dependent ones in both problem-posing ability and the complexity of the problems posed. It was also found that the content of the task influenced the differences between the three groups of students as regards the ability in problem posing and the complexity of the problems posed; while in the first (informal context), second and fourth task differences were found between the groups, in the third task (formal context), no differences were evident. The results are interpreted in consideration to the relevant literature findings. Some educational implications are discussed and directions for future research are drawn.     

Project-based geometry learning: Knowledge and attitude of field-dependent/independent cognitive style students

The authors in a convergent parallel mixed method design aimed to investigate whether and how the geometry knowledge and attitude toward geometry of students with field-dependent/independent cognitive style improve differentially within a project-based learning environment. Quantitative data were collected from 97 seventh-grade students before and after the treatment. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance results, controlling for gender and prior mathematics achievement, revealed a statistically significant main effect of time but not cognitive style. Follow-up repeated measures analysis of covariance by controlling the experiment-wise alpha level indicated that field-dependent, field-mixed, and field-independent students achieved a statistically significant mean increase for all measures. The qualitative (classroom observations and interviews with some students) data provided evidence that contextualizing, visualizing, and collaborating opportunities in the project-based learning environment made contributions for mean increase.     

Cognitive style and the effects of two instructional treatments on the acquisition and transfer of the ability to control variables: A longitudinal study

Long-term retention effects of two methods of instruction used one year earlier to teach field-dependent (FD) and field-independent (FI) sixth-grade students to control variables and to transfer this ability to novel tasks were investigated. The study also examined whether or not uninstructed seventh-grade students had acquired this ability on their own. Results indicated that Treatment I produced better retention over time for both FD and FI students than did Treatment II. Treatment II was more effective for FI students than for FD students. Significant main effects for treatment and cognitive style were found on each controlling variables task when the abilities of instructed and uninstructed seventh-grade students were compared. Field-dependent students who had received Treatment I significantly outperformed FD students who had received Treatment II and FD students who had received no instruction on how to control variables. Field-dependent students who had received Treatment II performed about as well as their counterparts who had received no instruction. Field-independent students who had received Treatment I significantly outperformed FI students who had received Treatment II on two of three measures and FI students who had received no instruction on all measures. Field-independent student who had received Treatment II significantly outperformed FI students who had received no instruction on two of three measures.     

Cognitive style and the acquisition and transfer of the ability to control variables

This study examined the effects of an instructional procedure designed to teach both field-dependent and field-independent sixth graders to control variables and to transfer this ability to novel tasks. Students were randomly assigned to either a treatment group taught with a special instructional procedure adapted from Case or a group where students freely explored science equipment without receiving feedback. Three posttest tasks administered approximately four weeks after the last training session served as retention and transfer measures. Results indicated that students receiving the special instructional treatment correctly tested significantly more variables on the posttest tasks than did students in the other group. Within-group analyses revealed that the special treatment was effective for field-dependent as well as field-independent students, while the other treatment was effective for only field-independent students.     

教学风格与学习风格在公共英语教学中的整合

学生作为学习的个体有着自己独特的学习风格,按照不同的分类标准,可分为:独立型、依存型、视觉型、听觉型、动手型等。教师作为知识传授的个体其风格也可划分为不同的类型,例如,知识渊博型、权威型、示范型、促进型等。在公共英语教学中,教学风格与学习风格发生冲突会带来很多负面影响,大大降低学生的学习效率也会影响老师的教学效果。为避免这种情况的发生,要求采用"兼容型教学风格",以适应大多数学习者的学习风格,提高学生英语学习兴趣。     

Field dependence-independence cognitive style and academic achievement: A review of research and theory

Field dependence-independence was originally conceived as a neutral style dimension, in that field-dependent subjects were considered to be as well-adapted to their environment as field-independent subjects. Subsequent authors, however, questioned this assumption of neutrality, on the grounds that field-independent subjects generally perform better in certain intellectual tasks. Such findings provoked interest in the possible repercussions of field dependence-independence for education. Here, we review research into the possible effects of FDI on achievement at school. In general, field-independent subjects perform better than field-dependent subjects, whether assessment is of specific disciplines or across the board. We discuss possible explanations for this difference in performance.     

场独立与场依存型认知风格差异对大学英语教学的启示

学习者具有不同的认知风格,认知风格直接参与并操纵语言学习的基本过程,并对学习者的学习方式和学习效果产生影响。场独立和场依存型认知风格是二语习得中最常见的认知风格,对学生的学习心理及学习习惯都会产生很大影响。本文对场独立与场依存型认知风格的英语学习者加以剖析,并指出就大学英语教学而言,教师如能在教学中了解学习者在认知风格上的差异性,并运用相应的教学策略引导学习者的认知风格,将极大地提高大学英语教学效果。     

The effect of field dependence and outline condition on learning high- and low-structure information from a lecture

Sixty-eight college students participated in the current research investigating the effects of an outline on field-dependent and field-independent students' learning of structurally important and less important information from a lecture. The lecture involved a 20-minute videotaped presentation on bird migration. Learning was assessed using a free recall task 10 minutes after the lecture (immediate recall) and both free recall and probed recall tasks one week after the lecture (delayed recall). Data were analyzed using mixed factorial ANOVAs. Results indicated that the outline assisted the field-dependent students in recall of high structure information and field-independent students in recall of low structure information. Performance of field-dependent and field-independent students was equivalent on probed recall of low-structure information, but significant differences were found on the free recall of low-structure information. It is proposed that these differences are attributable to superior organizational abilities of the field-independent students and to use of the outline as a guide for retrieval.     

Learning from split-attention materials: Effects of teaching physical and mental learning strategies

Learners learn more from spatially separated text and pictures after they have been instructed to physically integrate these sources than without such an instruction. We investigated whether instructing learners to mentally integrate textual and pictorial information would yield similar results. Eighty-seven participants studied a picture with accompanying text about an electrical circuit. Text and picture were presented as spatially separated sources or in an integrated format. In the separated format, participants were instructed to use (1) a mental learning strategy, (2) a physical learning strategy, or (3) no learning strategy. Participants in the separated condition using a mental learning strategy and the integrated condition obtained higher recall and comprehension (but not causal inference) performance than participants in the separate conditions with the physical- or no learning strategy. This indicates that instructing learners to mentally integrate spatially separated text and pictures when studying split-attention material can be an effective learning strategy.     

职前物理教师的认知风格对科学推理能力的影响研究

文章试图分析不同场认知风格的职前物理教师的科学推理能力是否存在显著性差异。利用《镶嵌图形测验(GEFT)》将职前物理教师分为场独立型和场依存型,然后采用《科学推理能力测量量表(LCTSR)》对两组被试的科学推理能力进行测试。基于SPSS软件对两组数据进行差异性及相关性分析,结果显示场独立型被试的整体水平要好于场依存型;在科学推理能力的7个子能力维度中,高级控制变量和假设演绎推理两个维度的差异性较其他维度更为显著。     

Cognitive strategies for learning from static and dynamic visuals

An experimental study with 60 students investigated the effects of including static or dynamic visuals in an expository text on a learning outcome and the use of learning strategies while working with those visuals. For the study, two illustrated and one text-only version of a computer-based learning text on an astrophysical subject were developed and served as the learning material. Considering the cognitive task demand in a learning test, we found significant differences between the illustrated versions and the text-only version, but not between the two illustrated ones. We used think-aloud protocols to examine the learning processes initiated by both types of visuals. The coding of the recorded learning activities was based on recent theories of learning strategies. The results for both types of illustrations indicate different frequencies in the use of learning strategies relevant for the learning outcome, and therefore indicate the contribution of the cognitive process quality for the supportive function of visuals.     

认知风格、英语水平和外显知识对跨语言语义启动效应的影响

通过实验考查了认知风格、英语水平和外显知识对跨语言语义启动效应的影响。研究结果表明：场依存型学习者的启动量显著高于场独立型,即认知风格越偏向场依存,启动量越大;英语水平对跨语言语义启动无显著影响;外显知识对启动量的影响显著,已有外显知识能显著促进跨语言语义启动效应。     

场独立和场依赖认知风格对大学生听力理解能力的影响

Witkin认知风格理论中通过镶嵌图形测试将学习者认知风格分为场独立性和场依赖性两种,场独立风格的学习者对外界或背景依赖程度小,场依赖风格的学习者对外界或背景的依赖程度大。场独立和场依赖认知风格对学习者的二语习得能力具有不同影响,听力理解能力同样受到不同认知风格的影响,学习者认清自身认知风格并在教师指导下有针对性地进行策略训练将有效提高听力理解水平。     

An intelligent mobile location-aware book recommendation system that enhances problem-based learning in libraries

Despite rapid and continued adoption of mobile devices, few learning modes integrate with mobile technologies and libraries' environments as innovative learning modes that emphasize the key roles of libraries in facilitating learning. In addition, some education experts have claimed that transmitting knowledge to learners is not the only educational goal, as cultivating problem-solving skills is also essential. By integrating the problem-based learning (PBL) model with book resources in libraries, one can identify the advantages of libraries in supporting e-Learning, resulting in innovative and valuable research. Therefore, this study presents a novel intelligent mobile location-aware book recommendation system (IMLBRS) with map-based guidance to support cooperative PBL in a real-library environment. Using map navigation and book recommendation functionalities, learners can search for books associated with problem-solving with increased ease and efficiency, thereby helping learners increase their PBL performance in a library environment. Experimental results reveal that learning performance during PBL supported by the proposed IMLBRS for book searches is superior to learning performance during PBL supported by the online public access catalogue (OPAC). Experimental results also show that the proposed system facilitates better learning performance for learners with a field-dependent learning style than for learners with a field-independent learning style. Moreover, the proposed system facilitates learner contemplation, cooperative learning, and library user education as learners interact with a real-library environment and peers during cooperative PBL.     

Peer feedback content and sender's competence level in academic writing revision tasks: Are they critical for feedback perceptions and efficiency?

Peer-feedback content is a core component of peer assessment, but the impact of various contents of feedback is hardly studied. Participants in the study were 89 graduate students who were assigned to four experimental and a control group. Experimental groups received a scenario with concise general (CGF) or elaborated specific (ESF) feedback by a high or low competent peer. ESF by a high competent peer was perceived as more adequate, but led to more negative affect. Students in CGF groups outperformed ESF groups during treatment. Groups with a low competent peer outperformed groups with a high competent peer during the posttest. Feedback perceptions and performance were uncorrelated.     

高职学生学习风格与英语成绩关系研究

在回顾前人对学习风格研究的基础上,对五所高级职业技术学院195名学生的学习风格与综合英语成绩及单项英语成绩的关系进行了研究。独立样本检验显示,高分组的学习者倾向于群体型的学习风格,而低分组的学习者倾向于个体型和场独立型的学习风格;男生和女生只在听觉型和场依赖型两种学习风格上表现出不同;回归分析结果表明,群体型、个体型和场独立型三种学习风格与综合英语测试成绩相关,个体型和冲动型两种学习风格对英语成绩具有负向预测作用;群体型、个体型、场独立和冲动型四种学习风格与单项成绩之间具有显著相关关系。     

Does the Visual Appeal of Instructional Media Affect Learners’ Motivation Toward Learning?

While authors like Mayer (2009) suggest that designers should avoid using visuals for the purpose of attracting learners’ interests, some scholars suggest that visuals could influence learners’ emotions. In this study the author investigated whether the perception of the visual appeal of instructional handouts affects learners’ self-reported motivation to learn from the handouts. Two handouts were prepared for this study: a minimalist handout following Mayer’s (2009) Coherence Principle and an appealing handout complying with everyday visual trends. Participants were instructed to look at the handouts in different orders according to groups and were asked about their impressions of the handouts. The appealing handout was perceived as motivating when it was seen after the minimalist handout. However, the group that saw the minimalist handout first did not perceive the appealing handout as motivating. The result implies that not only the design but also the learning context influences learners’ self-reported motivation to engage with the handout.     

Assessment Approaches and Cognitive Styles

The outcomes on multiple-choice tests and performance-based assessments for field-independent and field-dependent students were examined. A substantial interaction between cognitive style and assessment approach was found. Results suggested that performance-based assessment tended to favor field-independent subjects. Dependent on the purpose and intended use of assessment, this finding may raise concerns for validity based on either fairness or curriculum relevance.     

Exploring the Effect of Graphical Metaphors on the Performance of Learning Computer Programming Concepts in Adult Learners: a pilot study

ABSTRACT The effect of instructional materials enhanced with textual metaphors versus graphical metaphors was investigated. In the text‐plus‐textual metaphor material, the learning content described computer programming logic patterns (i.e. sequence, selection and repetition control structures) in a generic text format, followed by expository examples in the form of textual metaphors. The text‐plus‐graphical metaphor material consisted of the generic text instruction with the expository examples replaced by graphical metaphors (pictures). A total of 37 adult learners attended one lecture and two tutorials to learn how to write programming algorithms. All of the participants completed Riding and Cheema's (1991) Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) to measure their position on two cognitive style dimensions: Wholist‐Analytic and Verbal‐Imagery. The participants were paired based on their similar CSA ratios. One participant from each pair was given the text‐plus‐textual metaphor treatment, while the other was given the text‐plus‐graphical metaphor treatment. The treatment groups were controlled for instructional format and cognitive style. These independent variables were used to test for their effect on learning abstract computer programming concepts. Performance, as measured by the difference between pre‐test and post‐test scores, was analysed using statistical means and the QUEST probability analysis program. Both methods show that graphical metaphors improve participants’ performance. They also show that the best performance is achieved by Verbalisers, given the graphical metaphor instructional material.