Predictors of Future Performance in Architectural Design Education

The link between academic performance in secondary education and the subsequent performance of students studying architecture at university level is commonly questioned by educators and admissions tutors. This paper investigates the potential for using measures of cognitive style and spatial ability as predictors of future potential in architectural design education. The research investigates the relationship between the academic performance of three cohorts of architectural students and their cognitive style (as measured by the Cognitive Style Analysis), spatial ability (measured by the redrawn Vandenberg mental rotation test), and performance in secondary education (measured by the make‐up of their portfolio of secondary qualifications). The results from the research provide little evidence to suggest that any of the measurements were good predictors of eventual performance. Neither were there any significant interactions between the test scores, performance, and gender. Nevertheless, there was evidence suggesting that students with certain cognitive styles were less likely to complete the course, particularly those with a verbaliser cognitive style. Furthermore, a significant proportion of female, wholist students also failed to complete the course.     

The effects of learning style on grades of first-year college students

This study compared the grade point averages of 796 first-year students in five institutions of higher education in a southern state with learning typologies set forth in theLearning Styles Inventory by Canfield. Results of the analysis of variance reflected an effect of learning style, sex, and race. Grades of students with social, conceptual, and social/applied styles differed significantly from those of students having the neutral preference. Whites tended to have better grades than blacks had. Females learned best with social and independent/applied styles; however, males learned best with social/applied and social/conceptual styles. Although there were no race differences in the proportions of students in the various learning styles, there were sex differences. Except for mathematics, the effect of major on the association of sex and learning style was moderate to none. Findings from the study suggest a need for administrative and instructional changes.     

Measurable Outcomes of Two Methods of Teaching Experimental Geometry

Analytic and nonanalytic dimensions of cognitive styles and discovery and expository teaching strategies were combined to form a 2 x 2 design. Five tests were used. Subjects were selected according to their cognitive styles in each of the two experimental schools. After seven weeks of mathematics instruction, two periods of one-hour duration per week, the students’ posttest scores were analyzed to determine the effects of the two cognitive styles as well as the two teaching methods on retention and transfer of mathematics tasks. The ANCOVA showed significant F ratios for the main effect of cognitive style. Analytic boys in the expository group scored significantly higher than nonanalytic students. The analyses revealed no significant main effect of teaching methods. In no instance was a significant difference found for girls in respect to cognitive styles or teaching methods.     

Performance on Middle School Geometry Problems With Geometry Clues Matched to Three Different Cognitive Styles

ABSTRACT— This study investigated the relationship between 3 ability‐based cognitive styles (verbal deductive, spatial imagery, and object imagery) and performance on geometry problems that provided different types of clues. The purpose was to determine whether students with a specific cognitive style outperformed other students, when the geometry problems provided clues compatible with their cognitive style. Students were identified as having a particular cognitive style when they scored equal to or above the median on the measure assessing this ability. A geometry test was developed in which each problem could be solved on the basis of verbal reasoning clues (matching verbal deductive cognitive style), mental rotation clues (matching spatial imagery cognitive style), or shape memory clues (matching object imagery cognitive style). Straightforward cognitive style–clue‐compatibility relationships were not supported. Instead, for the geometry problems with either mental rotation or shape memory clues, students with a combination of both verbal and spatial cognitive styles tended to do the best. For the problems with verbal reasoning clues, students with either a verbal or a spatial cognitive style did well, with each cognitive style contributing separately to success. Thus, both spatial imagery and verbal deductive cognitive styles were important for solving geometry problems, whereas object imagery was not. For girls, a spatial imagery cognitive style was advantageous for geometry problem solving, regardless of type of clues provided.     

BOOK REVIEW

This investigation addressed the effects of teaching styles, student cognitive styles, matched and mismatched conditions, student age, and student gender in relation to course grades in community college education. The Gregorc Style Delineator was used to determine the dominant cognitive styles of 16 teachers and 207 students on two campuses of a comprehensive community college. Data were analyzed according to two analysis of variance models. The findings indicated that concrete sequential teachers assigned significantly lower grades to students than did teachers dominant in any other style and that students 25 years of age and older received significantly higher grades than younger students, except when matched with concrete random teachers. Although many authors have suggested that students whose cognitive styles match those of their teachers tend to attain higher grades, findings in this study contradicted the literature and indicated that mismatched students performed better academically.     

认知操作、认知方式与严谨性人格特质的关系

采用实验性认知测试法考察严谨性人格特质与认知操作速度、认知操作准确性及其相对优势即慎思性一冲动性认知方式的关系。结果表明：(1)高严谨性被试的认知操作准确性显著高于低严谨性被试；低严谨性被试的认知操作速度显著高于高严谨性被试。(2)高低严谨性被试在慎思性一冲动性认知方式的评价指标分数上存在显著差异，高严谨性被试更多地倾向于慎思型认知方式，低严谨性被试更多地倾向于冲动型认知方式。(3)不同认知操作任务中，被试的认知方式评价指标分数之间有显著相关。     

Cognitive styles and instructional design in university learning

Changes in conceptualization and measurement of the verbalizer–visualizer dimension led us to re-examine the hypothesis that students learn best when instructional material matches their cognitive style. First-year psychology university students (n = 41) studied information on three personality theories presented in text only, text+picture, or text+schematic diagram format, demonstrated recall and comprehension of each theory, and completed an adapted cognitive styles questionnaire. Spatial and object visual scale scores were not correlated, but the latter showed a significant though relatively weak negative correlation with verbal scale scores. Recall could be predicted from students' verbal and object visual scores when presentation format matched these cognitive styles. All three styles significantly predicted students' comprehension, but only when they matched the presentation format. The results support the distinction between spatial and object visual styles, and provide evidence that learning outcomes improve when instructional material is matched to students' cognitive styles.     

大学生认知风格与学习策略及学业成绩的相关研究

采用EFT和LASSI对205名大学生进行实验研究,探讨当前大学生认知风格特点与学习策略及学业成绩的关系。结果表明:大学生认知风格不存在性别差异,但学科差异显著;认知风格与学业成绩之间不存在相关;文理科不同认知风格大学生在时间管理、焦虑、专心和信息加工策略量表上得分有差异;文理科大学生高学业成绩组与低学业成绩组在学习策略分量表上得分差异显著,高学业成绩组得分显著高于低学业成绩组。     

Cognitive style and gender differences in children’s mathematics achievement

Males are often found to outperform females in tests of mathematics achievement and it has been proposed that this may in part be explained by differences in cognitive style. This study investigated the relation between Wholistic-Analytic and Verbal-Imagery cognitive style, gender and mathematics achievement in a sample of 190 Australian primary school students aged between 8–11?years (M?=?9.77, SD?=?1.05). It was hypothesised that males would outperform females in mathematics achievement tests, and that gender would interact with cognitive style on mathematics performance. A significant gender/cognitive style interaction was found. Boys with an Analytic/Imagery style achieved significantly higher results than the girls with an Analytic/Imagery style, supporting the contention that certain cognitive styles affect boys and girls mathematics performance differently. Implications of results and strategies for improving mathematics achievement among girls are discussed.     

大学生孤独感状况及其应对方式特点的调查分析

对大连市4所高校的424名学生进行问卷调查,了解大学生孤独感现状和应对方式的特点,以及不同孤独感程度学生的应对方式的差异。结果显示:大学生孤独感程度与应对方式有显著差异,中、低孤独感学生的成熟应对方式得分高于高孤独感学生,其不成熟方式得分低于高孤独感学生,孤独感水平与应对方式各分量表得分显著相关。     

The value of adaptivity based on cognitive style: an empirical study

Adaptive Hypermedia Systems can be developed to accommodate a variety of individual differences, including learning style and cognitive style. This study investigates the hypothesis that adaptive hypermedia accommodating cognitive styles can be beneficial for the observed learning outcomes. A prototype system, designed to be adapted to individual cognitive styles, was developed as a case study. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype system, an empirical study was conducted. This paper presents the results of the summative evaluation of the system. Statistical analyses indicated that students in the experimental group performed significantly better than students in a control group. These findings indicate that student performance is mainly affected by adaptivity based on individual cognitive styles.     

贫困大学生相对剥夺感对人际敏感性的影响

采用大学生相对剥夺感量表、简易应对方式问卷、人际敏感性问卷,探究贫困大学生相对剥夺感、应对方式和人际敏感性三者之间的关系.结果表明:相对剥夺感、消极应对方式和人际敏感性三者之间均呈显著正相关,相对剥夺感、人际敏感性均与积极应对方式呈显著负相关.相对剥夺感对积极应对方式、消极应对方式和人际敏感性都具有显著预测作用,积极应...     

Paging and scrolling: Cognitive styles in learning from hypermedia

This study investigates the navigational patterns and learning achievement of university students with different cognitive styles, on hypermedia learning environments using paging or scrolling. The global–local subscales of Sternberg's Thinking Styles Inventory, two hypermedia, one using paging, the other using scrolling, a multiple choice achievement test, and a questionnaire to collect the students' satisfaction on paging/scrolling were used as data collection tools. This study finds that the cognitive style and paging/scrolling, together or separately, neither affected the learning nor the satisfaction of learners. Students with different cognitive styles using paging or scrolling did all learn well, with no statistically significant difference. Also the navigation patterns did not seem to depend on cognitive style; that is, the frequencies of using the navigation tools were not significantly different.     

A study of the relationship between learning styles and cognitive abilities in engineering students

Learning preferences have been indirectly linked to student success in engineering programmes, without a significant body of research to connect learning preferences with cognitive abilities. A better understanding of the relationship between learning styles and cognitive abilities will allow educators to optimise the classroom experience for students. The goal of this study was to determine whether relationships exist between student learning styles, as determined by the Felder-Soloman Inventory of Learning Styles (FSILS), and their cognitive performance. Three tests were used to assess student's cognitive abilities: a matrix reasoning task, a Tower of London task, and a mental rotation task. Statistical t-tests and correlation coefficients were used to quantify the results. Results indicated that the global–sequential, active–referential, and visual–verbal FSILS learning styles scales are related to performance on cognitive tasks. Most of these relationships were found in response times, not accuracy. Differences in task performance between gender groups (male and female) were more notable than differences between learning styles groups.     

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.     

Learning Styles of ESL Students in Community Colleges

This study investigated the learning styles of adult English as a second language (ESL) students in Northwest Arkansas. Learning style differences by age, gender, and country of origin were explored. A total of 69 northwest Arkansas adult ESL students attending 7 adult-education centers were administered the VARK Learning Styles Questionnaire. Most participants came from Mexico and El Salvador, their ages ranged from 23 to 45, and females were an average of 10 years older than males. Note taking was chosen by 1/3 of participants as their favorite learning style, 20% favored aural modes, 15% favored kinesthetic, 4% favored visual, and 15% chose combinations of learning styles. Females chose auditory and multimodal learning styles, while males favored note taking. Students differed by level of English proficiency, beginning-intermediate favoring aural learning styles more than advanced students. ANOVA results indicated that participants were significantly less visual and more read-write than either aural or kinesthetic, but males and females differed significantly in their choice of aural learning. Hispanic males chose note taking and kinesthetic learning styles significantly more than visual or auditory modes of learning. Hispanic females chose note taking, aural, and kinesthetic learning styles significantly more than visual. Asian males favored note taking and aural learning. Correlation was found between age and learning styles with subgroups exhibiting a negative correlation between age and kinesthetic learning, with Mexican males and females exhibiting the strongest negative correlation. Males showed a low positive correlation between age and note taking.     

Cognitive Style and GCSE Performance in Mathematics,English Language and French

A preliminary study was undertaken of cognitive style and performance in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), the British public examination for pupils at 16 years. The positions of 182 pupils on two fundamental cognitive styles dimensions (Wholist‐Analytic and Verbal‐Imagery) were assessed by means of the Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA). The pupils were from two comprehensive secondary schools and all took Mathematics, English Language and French in the GCSE administered by the Midland Examining Group (MEG) in 1991. Comparison of cognitive style and GCSE performance indicated that, for overall performance across the subjects, the pattern was a modified dome shape with the candidates who were intermediate on both dimensions of cognitive style doing best. There was a significant interaction between the styles of the candidates and the GCSE subjects in their effect on performance. The results were discussed in terms of the implications for GCSE and for further research.     

The Influence of Individual Cognitive Style on Performance in Management Education

This paper reports the outcomes of an empirical study undertaken to explore the possibility that cognitive style may be an important factor influencing performance on certain types of task in management education. A total of 412 final year undergraduate degree students studying Management and Business Administration were tested using the Allinson- Hayes Cognitive Style Index. Their cognitive styles were then compared with assessment grades achieved for academic modules, the task categories of which were deemed to be consonant with either the Wholist/Intuitive or the Analytic style of working. Overall ability defined by final degree grades was also tested against individuals' cognitive styles. As expected, students whose dominant cognitive styles were Analytic attained higher grades for long-term solitary tasks involving careful planning and analysis of information. However, contrary to expectations, performance on tasks believed to be more suited to the Wholist/Intuitive style was also higher for Analytic individuals, as was overall ability defined by final degree grades. The results were discussed in terms of the nature of the tasks and the need for methods of performance assessment that are independent of an orientation bias. Without this, it is argued, employment selection criteria may favour the wrong type of candidate in some circumstances.     

Some Illustrated Comments on Hypothesis Construction and Research

Abstract

This study investigated the cognitive preferences of first-year college students in Israel and Canada, their relationship to sex, achievement, major field of study, and career expectations, and to what extent cognitive preference styles are different for the same college students across three science disciplines: chemistry, biology, and medicine. Canadian students were found to have a much stronger reliance on memory than similar Israeli students. Students exhibited a general science cognitive preference style along with similar but not identical discipline dependent styles. No relationship could be detected between cognitive preferences and sex and only weak correlations were found with achievement. The major field of study and career expectation were correlated with cognitive preferences in the anticipated direction. The "utility" and "curiosity" scales found in earlier studies were confirmed, this time across three disciplines with both ipsative and normative data.     

University students' depression: a cross-cultural investigation

Australian, Iranian and Portuguese university students (n?=?967) completed the University Students Depression Inventory (USDI) in English, Persian and Portuguese languages, respectively. A series of MANOVA analyses were used to examine differences in depression symptoms as an effect of the country and demographic variables. Interactions were also examined. The results indicated that country, gender and year level had some impact on the depressive symptoms of the university students. Australian students were more depressed than the Iranian and Portuguese students, while Iranian students were more depressed than the Portuguese students. Sub-scales of USDI – Lethargy, Motivation and Cognitive/Emotional – were also used to compare the depressive symptoms of students. The Australian female students reported a significantly higher level of lethargy than their male counterparts. Similarly, the first-year male students from Iran were significantly more lethargic than the first-year Iranian female students. Iranian and Portuguese male students, compared to the female students of these countries, experienced a lower level of motivation. The Australian and Iranian students, compared to the Portuguese students, reported a significantly higher level of cognitive and affective symptoms. The scores on the Cognitive/Emotional sub-scale increased with the year level. Differences among students' depression are described and implications discussed.