Formative evaluation applied to a learning hierarchy

A formative evaluation method applicable to learning hierarchies is described which simplifies data collection by employing results from a posttest. Relations among pairs of lower and higher elements of a portion of a previously formulated hierarchy for graphic skills in kinematics were tested by means of data obtained from a posttest given to 148 secondary-school students. Results were compared with those previously obtained for the same hierarchy by a rigorous validation method. Correspondence of the two sets of results was high. Examination of test responses for discrepant instances yielded further information of value. Results additionally indicate hierarchical relationships to be the same in retention as they were for learning.     

Analyzing hierarchical relationships among modes of cognitive reasoning and integrated science process skills

The purpose of this research was to search for a learning hierarchy among skills comprising formal operations and the integrated science processes. Ordering theoretic and probabilistic latent structure methods were used to analyze data on five process skills and six logical thinking skills collected from 700 science students. Both linear and branching hierarchical relationships were identified within and across the two sets of skills. Most of them fit the logical hierarchies which have guided curriculum development and classroom practices in the past. But a few run counter to our present logic and understanding of these skills.     

Recurring patterns in the development of high school biology students’ system thinking over time

The goal of this study was to identify and understand the mental models developed by 67 high school biology students as they learn about the human body as a complex system. Using concept maps, it sought to find an external way of representing how students organize their ideas about the human body system in their minds. We conducted a qualitative analysis of four concept maps created by each student throughout the 3-year learning process, which allowed us to identify that student’s systems thinking skills and the development of those skills over time. The improvement trajectories of the students were defined according to three central characteristics of complex systems: (a) hierarchy, (b) homeostasis and (c) dynamism. A comparative analysis of all of our students’ individual trajectories together revealed four typical learning patterns, each of which reflects a different form of development for systems thinking: “from the structure to the process level”, “from macro to micro level”, “from the cellular level to the organism level,” and “development in complexity of homeostasis mechanisms”. Despite their differences, each of these models developed over time from simpler structures, which evolved as they connected with more complex system aspects, and each indicates advancement in the student’s systems thinking.     

Simulation-Based Evaluation of Learning Sequences for Instructional Technologies

Instructional technologies critically depend on systematic design and learning hierarchies are a commonly advocated tool for designing instructional sequences. But hierarchies routinely allow numerous sequences and choosing an optimal sequence remains an unsolved problem. This study explores a simulation-based approach to modeling learning hierarchies and the sequencing problem with a special focus on mastery learning over time. Computer simulations of eight hierarchies from the literature address two general questions about hierarchies and sequences: Do different valid instructional sequences for a given hierarchy lead to significant differences in simulated learning outcomes?, and How do hierarchy structures and student ability influence learning? Two findings emerge from the simulations: equally valid instructional sequences can produce widely divergent learning outcomes, and student ability can interact with sequence and hierarchy structure to disadvantage lower-ability learners. The paper concludes with observations on the role of simulations in the analysis and validation of instructional design and large-scale instructional systems.     

Keeping Up Appearances before the “Other”? Interculturality and Occidentalism in the Educational TV-Program “Happy Chinese”

“Happy Chinese” or kuaile hanyu is an educational melodrama produced by the Chinese TV channel CCTV in 2009. Aiming to improve foreign learners’ Chinese language skills, the plot revolves around Susan, an American, staying with her former Chinese classmate’s family. “Happy Chinese” proposes both language and cultural learning. In this paper, the authors are examining the first seven episodes marking Susan’s arrival in China for the Spring Festival. Basing the study on a postmodern and critical approach to the “intercultural,” as well as on a critical view towards Orientalism and Occidentalism, the authors are interested in how the programme constructs the arrival of the American and the way she is perceived and represented by the “locals.” The authors are also looking into what the Chinese family teaches Susan about being Chinese and, at the same time, the tensions that a certain tendency to “keep up appearances” and appear “real Chinese” before her trigger in the family, across generation and gender. The research tools used to analyze the data are derived from discursive pragmatics.     

Learning Hierarchies: a critique

Learning hierarchies have received much attention from developmental and instructional psychologists. This article notes that conceptual confusions and methodological deficiencies occur in much of the research so far published. The conceptual confusions concern the terminology used; the ‘likelihood’ or ‘causal’ relationships between elements in the hierarchy; the distinction between ‘prerequisition’ and ‘positive transfer'; the distinction between single pieces of learning and classes of learning; the inclusivity of hierarchical relationships. The methodological deficiencies arise from an inability to measure ‘causal’ relationships; the omission of measurements of ‘positive transfer'; the difficulty of measuring the range of possible relationships within a hierarchy; the need to remove instructional effects from hierarchy validation studies. It is concluded that these confusions and deficiencies preclude data from learning hierarchy studies from being used to diagnose learning failure and in test construction. Suggestions for alternatives to, and improvements on, current methods are made.     

The effects of digital storytelling on student achievement,social presence,and attitude in online collaborative learning environments

This study investigated the effects of digital storytelling on student achievement, social presence, and attitude in online collaborative learning environments. Students in one middle school course were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups after they received initial general instruction regarding teamwork skills. The “digital storytelling-based online collaborative learning (DST-OCL)” and the “general online collaborative learning (G-OCL)” groups received subsequent associated skills training. The overall results indicated that after each group took part in the treatment during online collaborative learning activities, the “DST-OCL” groups had significantly higher social presence than the “G-OCL” groups. Specifically, using “DST-OCL” strategies was significantly more effective than using “G-OCL” strategies for improving the “online communication,” “interactivity,” and “privacy” components of students’ social presence in online collaborative learning environments. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding student achievement and attitude. The findings of this study offer an insight into methods for using digital storytelling as an instructional strategy for improving online collaborative learning effectiveness.     

基于系统动力学的在线学习投入度影响研究——学习生态观视角

为全面系统分析在线学习投入度影响因素,提升学习者在线学习质量,从学习生态观视角出发,使用系统动力学方法,构建学习者在线学习投入度影响因素系统动力学模型。采用层次分析法对模型进行仿真分析,结果显示：教学环境、社会交互环境、情感心理环境对学习者在线学习投入影响较强,物理环境和制度规范环境影响较弱。进一步分析表明,教学活动设计、与教师交互和情感体验是影响在线学习投入的高杠杆因素。从精心设计教学活动,优化教学环境;发挥教师主导作用,构造多边良性循环的社会交互环境;增强学习者情感体验,构建各子系统协同共建的情感心理环境等方面着手,致力于提升学习者在线学习质量,能促进在线学习系统平衡、协调和可持续发展。     

Potentiel d’apprentissage et adaptation professionnelle des déficients mentaux

Thirty mentally retarded persons took part in a study intended to verify the predictive value, for work adjustment, of learning potential. The multiple regression equation was derived for the data produced by a non verbal intelligence test (PM-47) and a test of learning potential (adaptation of the Block design test, Ionescu et al., 1974) The results showed that only the total score on a block design test has predictive value; this score is the sum of two scores, a “without help” score and a «transfer» score (measure of learning potential).     

任务驱动型教学法对高职英语教学的影响

任务驱动型教学法是一种新型的教育模式,是一种将学生主动学习和教师布置任务两者综合起来的新型教学方法。让学生在完成教师布置“任务”的同时,培养了自己发现问题、分析问题和解决问题的能力。体现了语言教学的真正精髓,“学”重于“教”,“练”多于“学”,以培养学生自学、探究、创新、组织表达能力为主要目标。     

学生成就目标定向的结构维度、理论依据及对学业发展的影响

成就目标定向是学习者目标达成的重要动力机制,有助于学生建立积极的学业倾向,促进学生发展和学业质量的提升。成就目标定向的结构早期被分解为"成绩目标"和"学习目标",并由此衍生出了"2×2结构"和"3×2结构"维度。研究依据行为动力学假说、自我效能感理论、成就动机理论和自我归因理论等阐释了成就目标定向的发生机制。研究认为,趋近目标定向可降低学生的考试焦虑程度,有助于提升个体语言技能;掌握目标定向有助于提升学生的学业成绩,激发学生的学习兴趣,并塑造学生的完美主义人格特质。未来的研究需开展大量的跨文化的比较研究,扩大研究对象的范畴,使用实验法等多元化的研究方法,验证成就目标定向结构模型的科学性,探明成就目标定向影响机理,强化教育干预与认知训练的实践研究,提升成就目标定向的应用价值。     

Students’ Perception of Interdisciplinary,Problem‐Based Learning in a Food Biotechnology Course

Abstract: Students’ perception of 8 criteria (rationale of the problem; interdisciplinary learning; facilitator asked essential questions; learner's skills; assessments; facilitation procedures; team's use of resources [team collaboration], and facilitator within a problem‐based learning context) were assessed for a food biotechnology course that was part of a 3rd year biotechnology program. The mean score for “perceived learner's skills” was the lowest whereas those for “facilitation” and “facilitator” were the highest. Selected qualitative comments from students were also analyzed. This study demonstrated interdisciplinary learning as the students could make meaningful connections across different science disciplines. Further investigation is needed to develop possible strategies to accommodate the challenges in making meaningful connections across science disciplines as well as to develop a defined hybrid method for analysis of students’ responses.     

The effect of students’ subject discipline on their m-learning application preferences

The effect of students’ subject discipline on their preferences toward m-learning applications was investigated by using a mixed-method research design. A questionnaire on students’ preferences of m-learning application features was used to collect data from 181 undergraduate students. One-way analysis of variance found a significant difference among perceptions of students from different subject disciplines related to the “collaboration” and “learning” features. Follow-up interviews were carried out to further investigate students’ perceptions. Content analysis revealed that “availability” and “ease of use” were the most preferred features, and “collaboration” and “entertaining” were the least preferred ones. Interview results related to universities’ readiness for m-learning were categorized into (i) universities’ infrastructures, (ii) instructors’ skills and (iii) students’ skills for m-learning. Students indicated their universities’ infrastructures as “moderately ready” for m-learning. They ranked their instructors’ skills as “low”. However, students assessed their own skills as “moderate” for utilizing m-learning in their respective universities.     

A method for sequencing instructional objectives which minimizes memory load

A Gagné-style learning hierarchy often permits a large number of alternate linear arrangements (sequences) of instructional objectives. An alternative is described here to traditional methods of choosing between sequences. Its premise is that, for every sequence, a value temed thememory load can be calculated which is theoretically related to the probability that students will fail to recall prerequisite objectives. A graph theoretic approach is taken in presenting an algorithm which generates a minimal memory load sequence from a learning tree, a restricted but frequently encountered type of learning hierarchy. In order to assess the effectiveness of the algorithm in generating low memory load sequences when given hierarchies which are not trees, it was applied to several published examples of learning hierarchies. The results indicated that the algorithm is effective as an heuristic, especially when combined with a hill-descending procedure which attempts to incrementally improve the generated sequence.     

21世纪有效学习者关键技能培养 ——英国开放大学创新教学系列报告启示

新时代,社会对人才的关注点逐渐转向获取终身技能、培养有效学习者。英国开放大学系列《创新教学报告》着重对有效学习者关键技能培养做出说明。运用分析法,从主体、社交、技术、问题、学习/创新等方面对有效学习者培养进行梳理解读,分析创新教学法对有效学习者关键技能培养途径在于:课程设置、学习方式、管理机制、教学评价四个方面,并分析《创新教学报告》对我国未来教育变革的启示,以期推动我国教育教学,促进有效学习者培养,提升关键技能。     

A Simplified Method Of Matrix Inversion

In this paper, the use of several measurement models for the analysis of data arising from learning hierarchies is discussed, and the results of an empirical investigation of the application of an Item Response Theory (IRT) model to a learning hierarchy in subtraction are examined. The analysis confronts the test developer’s original intentions with empirical data through the use of the IRT model, and three ways that the model can be useful in explicating the patterns of empirical results from a learning hierarchy are described.     

“捆绑式考核”对于护理学生实践能力提升效果的研究——以小组为单位

为了探究“捆绑式考核”方式应用于护理技能培训课程中的教学效果,对昆明医科大学2017级本科护理专业学生采用小组“捆绑式”护理技能实验考核,通过明确操作流程、完善操作途径、总结理论要点等方式进行考核,并注重发挥教师的引领作用,结合实际临床案例。结果表明:大多数学生认同“捆绑式考核”方式,认为此方式优于传统的考核方式。因此,捆绑式考核法有利于提高教学质量与教学效果,培养学生的职业素养,激发学生的学习能力,提高团队合作能力和自学能力。     

新时代何以育智：作为一种方法的“学习对质”

“对质”一词来源于法学学科,但巧妙地回答了教育科学中对学生“要我学”至“我要学”转变后关于“我该如何学”的持续追问。“学习对质”是深化学生思考的重要方法,能够达成学生以思考为核心目的之学习,可回应新时代育智问题,助力新时代学生学习。通过系统阐述“学习对质”的概念、内容、形式和结果,可进一步厘清“学习对质”的独特内涵。而梳理当前学习理论和实践变革发展需要,可肯定“学习对质”作为学习方法存在的意义。此外,要实现“学习对质”,应发挥教师“学习对质”的引导作用和发展学生的“学习对质”精神、能力,使学生在教师的引导下更好地掌握学习方法,有效开展“学习对质”,“解构”并“重构”广义知识,积极扩展思维界限,不断提升终身学习能力,不断实现自我发展、自我成就、自我超越。     

Effects of guidance,sequence, and attribute-treatment interactions on learning,retention, and transfer of hierarchically ordered skills

An investigation was made of the effects of amount of guidance, sequence of instruction, and attribute-treatment interactions on speed of learning, retention, and transfer of ten intellectual skills that form part of a learning hiererchy and which are commonly part of secondary school physics courses. Four clearly-defined instructional methods were used; the methods form a linear scale from least to most guidance. It was found that the numbers of errors made in reaching a criterion performance on the skills decreased as the amount of guidance was increased, but transfer and retention were unaffected. Two sequence styles were used, which were both consistent with the requirement that no skill should be taught before the skills that were subordinate to it in the learning hierarchy. Form of sequence had no effect on speed of learning, retention, or transfer, and there was no interaction between sequence and amount of guidance. A novel method was employed to search for the presence of any interaction between attributes of learners and the amount of guidance. None was found. It is concluded that a maximum of guidance can be used to teach intellectual skills to all learners with no negative effect on retention and transfer. It is suggested that variables other than amount of guidance or sequence are more likely to affect a learner's retention or transfer of a skill. Finally, patterns of retention of skills that are connected in the learning hierarchy were found to be contrary to an earlier result. The patterns suggest that a skill in a learning hierarchy cannot be recalled unless its relevant subordinate skills are also recalled.     

Controlled assessments in 14–19 Diplomas: implementation and effects on learning experiences

The Principal Learning components of 14–19 Diplomas (introduced in England in 2008) are assessed predominantly via “controlled assessments”. These assessments are conducted within the learning context under specified conditions (or “controls”) and require learners to apply their skills to work-related tasks. In this research, teachers and learners at 6 consortia (groups of schools/colleges working together to deliver Diplomas) were interviewed about how controlled assessments in the Diploma qualifications were affecting teaching and learning experiences.

The nature of the assessments was seen as encouraging learning and facilitating a less didactic learning environment. The assessments were generally considered less pressurised than traditional assessments, and most learners found the assessment tasks enjoyable and motivating. The assessments were reportedly encouraging the development of valuable skills (e.g., teamwork, communication, independent working) and improving students' confidence. However, there was some evidence that not all teachers had yet fully understood the requirements around the assessment “controls”.