Ontogeny of persistence: Immediate extinction effects in preweanling and weanling rats

In Experiment I rats were trained for 21÷2 days under partial (PRF) or continuous reinforcement (CRF) conditions starting at 18, 22, 28, or 36 days of age and were then subjected to immediate extinction. At all ages there was a strong partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE), and absolute size of PREE was greatest in the youngest rats. Rate of extinction increased as a function of age following both CRF and PRF. In Experiment II the youngest and oldest age groups of Experiment I were run under the two reward conditions of Experiment I and in a third condition, PRF with number of rewards rather than trials equated to CRF (PRF-R). The PRF-R and PRF groups were not different in extinction, and both were more persistent than CRF. The youngest rats were again more persistent than the oldest, particularly after PRF training. In Experiment III it was shown that the well-known paradoxical effect, greater reward in CRF acquisition leads to faster extinction, operates in our youngest and oldest animals, but is more pronounced in the oldest. The results are discussed in terms of whether they require different explanations than those often applied to extinction data from adult rats.     

Dissociation of patterned alternation learning and the partial reinforcement extinction effect in preweanling rats

Sprague-Dawley rat pups aged 14 or 18 days were trained on a patterned (single) alternation schedule with either an 8- or a 105-sec intertriai interval (ITI). At the 8-sec ITI, alternation learning was obtained at both ages, but the older age group learned more rapidly. There was no evidence of response alternation at the 105-sec ITI at either age. Continuously reinforced (CRF) and partially reinforced (PRF) groups trained and extinguished along with the patterned alternation (PA) group at the 105-sec ITI showed a robust partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE) at both ages. Moreover, there was no difference in the rate of extinction of the PRF and PA groups at either age (i.e., no effect of N-length). A PREE can therefore be obtained in infant rats under conditions that apparently preclude the formation of sequential associations. The implications of this finding for the ontogeny of instrumental learning and extinction are discussed.     

Engaging university learning: the experiences of students entering university via recognition of prior industrial experience

In this study, the academic experiences of 33 male students from an industrial background were investigated as they completed a two‐year education degree. The purpose of the study was to investigate the quality of student adjustment to an academic environment following extensive industrial training and experience. Students completed a series of questionnaires relating to learning as well as a series of open‐ended questions relating to academic and social adjustment. Data indicated that while students had developed a positive learning profile, a continued belief in the structural simplicity of knowledge appeared to have a significant diminishing effect on the quality of adjustment and on the quality of learning outcomes. Open‐ended responses revealed patterns of academic adjustment consistent with the restricted understanding of the nature of university learning. Implications of these data for both recognition of prior learning (RPL) entry and ongoing support are broached.     

Facilitation and impairment of conditioning in the preweanling rat after prior exposure to the conditioned stimulus

Olfactory aversion conditioning of preweanling rats, 10 or 18 days postnatal, was tested after some had been given nonreinforced experience with the to-be-conditioned odor stimulus. In three experiments, it was established that the amount of prior exposure to the CS determined the effectiveness of conditioning. For both ages, odor-shock conditioning was more likely impaired with longer durations of preexposure. This effect was more apparent in the older animals. Low to moderate degrees of prior exposure to the CS under some conditions facilitated, rather than impaired, olfactory conditioning in the 10-day-old rat. This result is in agreement with one previous study in which facilitation in learning was reported for this age after short-term preexposure to the CS. The present study adds to previous data on differential effects of CS preexposure on conditioning. Although the conditions under which facilitation rather than impairment occurs are not yet clear, age-related differences in the effects of CS preexposure were apparent in the present experiments.     

Effects of prior knowledge and concept-map structure on disorientation, cognitive load, and learning

This study explored the effects of prior knowledge (high vs. low; HPK and LPK) and concept-map structure (hierarchical vs. network; HS and NS) on disorientation, cognitive load, and learning from non-linear documents on “the infection process of a retrograde virus (HIV)”. Participants in the study were 24 adults. Overall subjective ratings of disorientation and cognitive load, as well as detailed analysis of eye movement and navigation data were used. The results showed that LPK learners gained equal factual knowledge from the HS and NS concept maps, gained more conceptual knowledge from the HS concept map, and had to invest less mental effort in the posttest after learning with the HS concept map. On the other hand, HPK learners gained more factual knowledge from the HS concept map than from the NS concept map, and gained equal conceptual knowledge from both concept-map structures. Also, LPK learners experienced higher disorientation during learning with the NS concept map than the HS map, whereas no differential effect of concept-map structure was found for HPK learners. Both LPK and HPK learners invested less mental effort in processing the HS concept map. The eye tracking and navigation data provided more detailed insight into these findings.     

Intergenerational learning at a nature center: families using prior experiences and participation frameworks to understand raptors

Using a sociocultural framework to approach intergenerational learning, this inquiry examines learning processes used by families during visits to one nature center. Data were collected from videotaped observations of families participating in an environmental education program and a follow-up task to draw the habitat of raptors. Based on a thematic analysis, researchers developed two themes about the learning processes at play in the nature center, related to the use of prior knowledge. First, families’ prior knowledge used at the nature center came from informal education activities: (a) observation in the outdoors and spaces designed to represent an aspect of nature, (b) media (including books and Internet), and (c) experiences at informal education institutions. Second, when sharing prior knowledge, participation frameworks were created through the conversation that leveled the hierarchy between parent and child allowing for negotiation and collaborative idea formation. In the nature center, families valued social harmony by positioning their children as capable contributors of environmental knowledge. Suggestions to researchers taking a sociocultural approach are given, including the potential of ‘participation frameworks’ as an analytical tool to study learning interactions and as a potential tool for environmental educators to encourage families to create roles and structures for successful learning outcomes in nature centers.     

Retention of conditioned autonomic and behavioral responses in preweanling rats: Forgetting and reinstatement

Preweanling rats, 16 days of age, responded to an olfactory conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with a shock unconditioned stimulus (US) with increases in heart rate and behavioral activation. In two experiments this finding was replicated and, in addition, it was found that the form of these conditioned responses (CRs) changed after a retention interval. When tested 24 h after CS-US pairings, the subjects displayed a decrease in heart rate accompanied by CS-elicited freezing. Giving two unsignaled shocks prior to the delayed test effectively reinstated the tachycardia and behavioral arousal CRs. The results are discussed in terms of contextual influences on the form of the CR and how changes in the magnitude of context fear may alter responding to an olfactory CS.     

Effects of learner control,advisement, and prior knowledge on young students' learning in a hypertext environment

This study was an investigation of the effects of learner control and of advisement in a hypertext learning environment with second-grade students who had different levels of prior knowledge about the content. Four treatment conditions crossing two variables, learner control (free access representing network structuring of hypertext vs. limited access representing hierarchical structuring of hypertext), and advisement (advisement vs. no-advisement), were established. From the quantitative and qualitative data, results indicated that: (a) for low prior knowledge (PK) students, the limited-access condition was more effective than the free-access condition, whereas high-PK students were able to function equally well in both conditions; (b) the free-access group reported a higher positive attitude for advisement than for no advisement, but the limited-access group showed no such difference in preference; (c) the low-PK group completed the lesson more quickly without advisement than with advisement, whereas the high-PK group's completion times did not vary across advisement conditions; and (d) analysis of the path data indicated that advisement was helpful in preventing disorientation in the free-access condition.     

Self-efficacy and the recognition of prior learning

Abstract

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is a relatively new concept in South Africa, which has been introduced as a mechanism grounded in the educational transformational policies of the African National Congress (ANC) to redress the historical legacy of apartheid. This paper attempts to determine the impact of the RPL outcomes of a module on the self-efficacy of in-service educators involved in a BEd (upgrade) programme. The methodology included the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data through the administering of pre- and post-intervention self-efficacy questionnaires and focus-group interviews. Other foci were the biographical background of the students and the portfolios of evidence they produced during the course of the module. The data generated reveal a statistically significant improvement in the participating students’ self-efficacy over the course of the module, but draw attention to the negative impact of context in previously disadvantaged South African schools. The significance of this research lies not only in the interrogation of an innovative approach to dealing with RPL issues in an academic programme, as well as its possible influence on teacher self-efficacy, but also in its contribution to the academic debate about the RPL process currently taking place both locally and internationally.     

Outdoor learning: primary pupils' experiences and teachers' interaction in outdoor learning

This paper draws upon research undertaken for the Outdoor Pedagogies project and explores the processes of teaching and learning at one outdoor residential education centre with children and staff from ‘Oliver’ Primary School. Data were collected through ethnographic research and include participant observation, interviews with teachers and centre staff and group interviews with pupils. Whilst the interviewed children reflected positively on the experience, we highlight the importance of the teachers' interaction with the children in providing for democratic, shared positive learning through the presentation of an extreme or ‘critical’ incident. We raise the issue of professional development for school teachers working with primary school children in outdoor, residential situations.     

Attenuation of the CS-preexposure effect after a retention interval in preweanling rats

The effects of flavor preexposure and retention interval were assessed in 6- and 12-day-old rats. Conditioned aversions to a flavor appeared at both ages. The conditioning of the younger pups was unaffected by conditioned stimulus (CS) preexposure and was not evident after a 10-day retention interval. For the 12-day-old rats, preexposure to either the flavor CS or a different flavor attenuated aversion strength when the rats were tested soon after conditioning. Other 12-day-old rats that were tested 10 days after conditioning also expressed substantial aversions, but with a retention interval of this length, the aversions were equivalent for animals preexposed to the CS and those not preexposed before conditioning. This loss of the CS-preexposure effect over a long interval, which has also been observed in adult rats, identifies the locus of this effect as postacquisition and perhaps at the stage of memory retrieval.     

Effects of active‐learning experiences on achievement,attitudes, and behaviors in high school biology

Active‐learning labs for two topics in high school biology were developed through the collaboration of high school teachers and university faculty and staff and were administered to 408 high school students in six classrooms. The content of instruction and testing was guided by State of Texas science objectives. Detailed teacher records describing daily classroom activities were used to operationalize two types of instruction: active learning, which used the labs; and traditional, which used the teaching resources ordinarily available to the teacher. Teacher records indicated that they used less independent work and fewer worksheets, and more collaborative and lab‐based activities, with active‐learning labs compared to traditional instruction. In‐class test data show that students gained significantly more content knowledge and knowledge of process skills using the labs compared to traditional instruction. Questionnaire data revealed that students perceived greater learning gains after completing the labs compared to covering the same content through traditional methods. An independent questionnaire administered to a larger sample of teachers who used the lab‐based curriculum indicated that they perceived changing their behaviors as intended by the student‐centered principles of the labs. The major implication of this study is that active‐learning–based laboratory units designed and developed collaboratively by high school teachers and university faculty, and then used by high school teachers in their classrooms, can lead to increased use of student‐centered instructional practices as well as enhanced content knowledge and process learning for students. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 960–979, 2007     

Habituation to illness: Effects of prior experience with the US on the formation of learned taste aversions in rats

Experiment 1 investigated the effects of US habituation on the acquisition and extinction of learned taste aversions in rats. Subjects receiving five noncontingent LiCl intubations prior to conditioning failed to develop a conditioned taste aversion, while control subjects experiencing a single saccharin/LiCl pairing displayed a pronounced taste aversion which weakened during subsequent poisonings. Experiment 2 examined whether habituation, defined as a waning of responses to repeated presentation of an illness stimulus, was a possible mechanism for explaining the results of Experiment 1. Subjects showed a decrease in motor activity following an initial LiCl intubation, but less attenuation of activity with successive intubations.     

A psychometric evaluation of the anatomy learning experiences questionnaire and correlations with learning outcomes

The Anatomy Learning Experiences Questionnaire (ALEQ) was designed by Smith and Mathias to explore students' perceptions and experiences of learning anatomy. In this study, the psychometric properties of a slightly altered 34‐item ALEQ (ALEQ‐34) were evaluated, and correlations with learning outcomes investigated, by surveying first‐ and second‐year undergraduate medical students; 181 usable responses were obtained (75% response rate). Psychometric analysis demonstrated overall good reliability (Cronbach's alpha of 0.85). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 27‐item, three‐factor solution (ALEQ‐27, Cronbach's alpha of 0.86), described as: (Factor 1) (Reversed) challenges in learning anatomy, (Factor 2) Applications and importance of anatomy, and (Factor 3) Learning in the dissection laboratory. Second‐year students had somewhat greater challenges and less positive attitudes in learning anatomy than first‐year students. Females reported slightly greater challenges and less confidence in learning anatomy than males. Total scores on summative gross anatomy examination questions correlated with ALEQ‐27, Pearson's r = 0.222 and 0.271, in years 1 and 2, respectively, and with Factor 1, r = 0.479 and 0.317 (all statistically significant). Factor 1 also had similar correlations across different question types (multiple choice; short answer or essay; cadaveric; and anatomical models, bones, or radiological images). In a retrospective analysis, Factor 1 predicted poor end‐of‐semester anatomy examination results in year 1 with a sensitivity of 88% and positive predictive value of 33%. Further development of ALEQ‐27 may enable deeper understanding of students' learning of anatomy, and its ten‐item Factor 1 may be a useful screening tool to identify at‐risk students. Anat Sci Educ 10: 514–527. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Self-regulated learning with hypermedia: The role of prior domain knowledge

Think-aloud and pre-test data were collected from 49 undergraduates with varying levels of prior domain knowledge to examine the relationship between prior domain knowledge and self-regulated learning with hypermedia. During the experimental session, each participant individually completed a pretest on the circulatory system, and then one 40-min hypermedia learning task during which he or she learned about the circulatory system. Think-aloud data were collected during the 40-min learning task to measure each participant’s use of specific self-regulated learning processes related to planning, monitoring, and strategy use. Results indicate that prior domain knowledge is significantly related to how the participants self-regulated their learning during the 40-min learning task with hypermedia. Specifically, prior domain knowledge is positively related to participants’ monitoring and planning and negatively related to their use of strategies during the hypermedia learning task.     

Educating for learning-focused teaching in teacher training: The need to link learning content with practice experiences within an inductive approach

Recently, many insights have been gained into the design of powerful learning environments. Teacher training must take account of this knowledge when educating the teachers of the future. This study investigates possible approaches within teacher training which could encourage student teachers towards learning-focused teaching activities. The main question is whether students from institutions where these activities were taught in a more inductive way pay more attention to these aspects during teaching practice than those from other institutions. This inductive approach is concretized by the following: (a) modelling of these teaching activities by the teacher trainers; (b) coaching the teaching practice experiences and giving hints; (c) taking the students’ learning experiences as starting points for reflection. Three existing teacher-training institutions were chosen to provide different and ecologically valid settings in a feasible way. Comparisons of the institutional approaches with the approaches during teaching practice confirm the importance of an inductive approach in which different practice experiences, systematically aimed at making the students restructure their conceptual frameworks of learning and instruction, are used for reflection.