Generalizing screen inferiority - does the medium,screen versus paper,affect performance even with brief tasks?

Screen inferiority in performance and metacognitive processes has been repeatedly found with text learning. Common explanations for screen inferiority relate to technological and physiological disadvantages associated with extensive reading on screen. However, recent studies point to lesser recruitment of mental effort on screen than on paper. Learning tasks involving a heavy reading burden confound technological and physiological media differences with potential media effects on recruitment of mental effort. The present study focused on media effects on effort recruitment. We examined whether screen inferiority remains even with a brief task that nevertheless requires effort recruitment. In two experiments, participants faced three short math problems that require systematic processing to solve correctly. We examined media effect on solving these problems, and the potential of disturbed perceptual fluency (i.e., disfluent versus fluent fonts) to induce effort investment. Overall, there were no performance differences between the media. However, when collecting confidence ratings, disfluency improved performance on screen and hindered it on paper. Only on paper confidence ratings were sensitive to performance differences associated with fluency, and resolution was better with the disfluent font than with the fluent font. Correspondingly, another sample reported on their preference of media for solving the problems. They expressed a clear reluctance to working on screen despite the task being brief. This preference is suggestive of reliable meta-metacognitive judgments reflecting the general lower quality of metacognitive processes on screen. The findings call for considering medium and presentation format effects on metacognitive processing when designing computerized environments, even for brief tasks.     

Vocabulary learning from reading: examining interactions between task and learner related variables

In the field of second and foreign language learning, how various task characteristics affect language learning has been the focus of many recent studies. Much of this research examined the relationship between task characteristics and task performance without fully taking into account learner related variables. The present study aimed to assess task complexity and sequence in relation to the learner related variables drawn from the social cognitive perspective of self-regulated learning, i.e. self-efficacy beliefs and frequency of learning strategy use, as they were applied to two versions of vocabulary learning from reading tasks. The tasks designed for the present study were based on the componential framework for second language task design. With tasks and task sequence counterbalanced, 146 first-year university students (mean age?=?18.59 years) were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Results reveal a significant effect of task sequence on vocabulary learning self-efficacy beliefs, frequency of learning strategy use and task performance, and a significant interaction effect of sequence with task complexity. Findings are discussed in terms of complex interactions between task and learner factors.     

Virtual teamwork: students studying about ethics in an online environment

The fundamental concepts of ethics: value, obligation and responsibility are what many of us use in our everyday decision‐making on issues that affect our lives. Students in the coursework unit ‘Science and technology in contemporary society’ learn about these concepts in relation to science and technological research and development. The learning takes place in small teams within an online learning environment. This research study reports on a case study that investigated the nature of the collaboration by virtual team members undertaking semi‐structured online tasks to develop an understanding of the topic on ethics in the coursework unit. Students’ perceptions of the usefulness of this type of learning, the types of collaboration that took place between virtual team members and an analysis of the quality of the completed tasks resulting from the virtual teamwork are presented in this paper. Factors affecting the success of the learning experience are also discussed.     

Review of computer mediated communication research for education

This research review examines recent developments in computer-mediated communication (CMC) research for educational applications. The review draws on 170 recent research articles selected from 78 journals representing a wide range of disciplines. The review focuses on peer-reviewed empirical studies, but is open to a variety of methodologies. The review is divided into two sections addressing major areas of current research: (a) general CMC research in education, and (b) factors affecting computer-mediated learning. The review covers a variety of key research areas revolving around CMC in education, including, media effect and comparison, on-line courses and networks, course and program evaluations, learning and learning processes, problem solving, writing, decision-making, argumentation, group decision-making, group dynamics, peer evaluations, gender differences, anonymity, teaching practice effects, technology integration, teacher styles and characteristics, socio-cultural factors, and professional development effects. Findings suggest partial advantages of CMC in writing, task focused discussion, collaborative decision-making, group work, and active involvement in knowledge construction during group interactions. Other research findings revealed influences of peer interaction, group composition, group cohesion, goal commitment, group norm development, and process training, mixed-sex groups, and virtual cross-functional teams. Mixed-findings are revealed for performance advantages of computer-mediated versus face-to-face learning environments on various tasks and for the presence of gender differences in computer-mediated environments.     

How the second screens change the way people interact and learn: the effects of second screen use on information processing

The use of a second screen can enhance information processing and the execution of search tasks within a given period. In this study, we examined the learner's attentional shift (AS) between two screens and controlled secondary tasks (STs) in the media multitasking setting and its effect on the learning process. In particular, we analyzed how cognitive and emotional learning effects can be explored depending on the role of this setting. A between-subject experiment was conducted with 69 participants (simultaneous vs. sequential use of a second screen in terms of open versus closed STs). The findings showed that there was a greater difference in emotional learning effects than in cognitive learning effects for participants who used a second screen. In terms of estimated emotional learning effects of media multitasking, participants engaged in sequential use demonstrated lower anxiety levels and higher competence beliefs during learning compared to participants who were engaged in simultaneous use. Moreover, an interaction effect occurred in the AS between the two screens and in controlled STs of recognition memory. These results indicate that attentional change and controlled STs are key predictors of learning effects in the media multitasking environment.     

Mind wandering,control failures,and social media distractions in online learning

Mind wandering often leads to performance and accuracy errors during activities that are demanding and require concentration. Students are often asked to concentrate on demanding tasks in their studies, and by the nature of this principle, off-task thinking would inherently be prohibitive to their success. Further, the distracting nature of social media and technology may greatly increase the likelihood of mind wandering when students are engaged in online learning, requiring them to engage with said technology. To examine the relationships among working memory, interest, mind wandering and performance, 126 participants from at a large Midwestern state university completed three complex span tasks, responded to mind-wandering probes while watching two online lectures and rated interest in the lecture topics. Higher levels of mind wandering predicted lower levels of academic performance. Lower levels of working memory capacity predicted higher levels of mind wandering and lower levels of academic performance. Higher levels of topic interest predicted lower levels of mind wandering. A novel mind wandering probe, thinking about or using another technology, accounted for 29% of all off-task thinking.     

Neurophysiological considerations related to interactive multimedia

How media affects learning and memory has not been carefully examined from the joint perspective of research in neuroscience and mass communication. This article reviews selected literature from both neuroscience and communication and relates research findings to interactive multimedia. It is proposed that research evidence from both fields should be used in the design and interpretation of studies on the effects of media on learning and memory. Neurological research may also have implications for interactive learning in classrooms and other contexts. Incorporating evidence from neurological studies of learning and memory into multimedia research may help us better understand the effects of interactive multimedia on short-term and longer-term student learning. This article is based on his master's thesis in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College.     

MOOC热的冷思考

信息时代互联网技术和计算机技术得到了前所未有的发展。MOOC作为互联网技术与教育的结合体,在全社会掀起一股热潮。但是,热潮背后隐藏的是发展中的问题。基于中国大学MOOC学习经验,对MOOC热现象从专家呼吁、媒体杂志宣传等方面,分析MOOC发展中存在的辍学率高、学习体验缺失以及学习效果难以评估等问题,提出创新技术理念、创新课程模式、完善服务系统以及加强合作联盟等发展策略,以期为MOOC“降温”,真正做到技术赋能教育。     

Change Blindness as a Means of Studying Expertise in Physics

Previous studies examining expertise have used a wide range of methods. Beyond characterizing expert and novice behavior in different contexts and circumstances, many studies have examined the processes that comprise the behavior itself and, more recently, processes that comprise training and practice that develop expertise. Other studies, dating back more than 50 years, have used various recall memory tasks to compare experts and novices. In this article, we describe another method for investigating expertise that has its origin in the study of change blindness, a phenomenon within the field of visual cognition. We demonstrate how an incidental change detection paradigm can be used in the context of introductory physics in a way that allows for inferences regarding the formation of mental representations about physical situations. Possible uses in future learning sciences research are discussed.     

Impact of Expert Teaching Quality on Novice Academic Performance in the Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Method

We assessed the impact of expert students' instructional quality on the academic performance of novice students in 12th-grade physics classes organized in an expert model of cooperative learning (‘jigsaw classroom’). The instructional quality of 129 expert students was measured by a newly developed rating system. As expected, when aggregating across all four subtopics taught, regression analysis revealed that academic performance of novice students increases with the quality of expert students' instruction. The difficulty of subtopics, however, moderates this effect: higher instructional quality of more difficult subtopics did not lead to better academic performance of novice students. We interpret this finding in the light of Cognitive Load Theory. Demanding tasks cause high intrinsic cognitive load and hindered the novice students' learning.     

Effects of violent and non-violent computer game content on memory performance in adolescents

The present study focuses on the short-term effects of electronic entertainment media on memory and learning processes. It compares the effects of violent versus non-violent computer game content in a condition of playing and in another condition of watching the same game. The participants consisted of 83 female and 94 male adolescents with a mean age of 17.6 years. The dependent variables are memory for previously learnt verbal and visual material, memory for media-related content and physiological measures of stress (heart rate, cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase). Besides the group comparisons, potential mediation effects and gender differences were examined. The results show that violent content leads to a poorer memory performance for verbal material and to an increased heart rate. The heart rate, however, does not mediate the effect on memory performance. Genders differ regarding their abilities to memorise verbal and visual material, with females showing a better performance (independent of the experimental condition), and for memorising media-contents, where the males outperform females (also independent of experimental condition). The study supports the assumption that violent and arousing media content has a negative short-term effect on simultaneous information processing and learning and that there are gender-specific media effects.     

Email dialogue journaling: attitudes and impact on L2 reading performance

With the rapid development of technologies, online learning, especially email dialogue journaling, has been playing an increasingly important role in foreign language learning and teaching in recent years. While many studies have examined the effect of email learning on student learning performance, few have looked into students’ attitudes towards email application and its impact on their learning outcomes. Positive user attitudes (high self‐efficacy) have been considered critical factors that contribute to the subsequent and successful academic performance. By integrating email for the reading learning process, this study developed an electronic‐based peer collaborative environment to explore students’ attitudes towards email application in reading classes. Specifically, the relationship between students’ self‐efficacy and their reading performance was examined. The results demonstrate that most students maintain positive attitudes towards the potential outcomes of email application on reading achievement. Furthermore, the feature of electronic discussion has a greater direct effect on the reading enhancement. Implications of certain designs of email tasks for an enhanced second language reading development are presented.     

混合现实技术对学生学习绩效的影响研究——基于33项实验与准实验的元分析

混合现实(MR)作为虚拟现实(VR)和增强现实(AR)的高级发展阶段,以沉浸式、跨时空、强交互等特点在教育教学中得到广泛应用。但对国内外文献分析发现,学界对混合现实技术的教学应用效果仍有分歧,对学生学习绩效的影响研究存在较大差异。为探究混合现实技术对学生学习绩效的影响,研究采用元分析方法,对2010-2020年间国内外33项混合现实技术支持下的实验与准实验研究进行量化分析,其总样本量为1460,重点从学段、学科、实验周期和学习场所等调节变量进行深入探析。研究结果表明:混合现实技术对学生学习绩效具有积极的正向提升作用;同时,其应用效果受到学段、学科、实验周期和学习场所等调节变量的影响。依据元分析结论,研究对未来混合现实技术在教育教学中的应用提出了推进学段贯通式MR教学,加快MR与学科融合发展,整合碎片化MR教学资源等建议。     

Why some teachers easily learn to use a new virtual learning environment: a technology acceptance perspective

After a decade of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in higher education, many teachers still use only a minimum of its affordances. This study looked at how academic staff interacted with a new and unknown VLE in order to understand how technology acceptance and support materials influence (perceived and actual) task performance. In an experimental design, 36 participants were split into a control (online help) and experimental (instructor video) condition and completed five common teaching tasks in a new VLE. In contrast to most technology acceptance model research, this study found that perceived usefulness of the VLE was not related to (perceived) task performance. Perceived ease of use was related to intentions and actual behaviour in the VLE. Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the two conditions, although the experimental condition led to a (marginal) increase in time to complete the tasks.     

An evaluation of interactive tabletops in elementary mathematics education

This research examined the effect that a relatively new Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) device, specifically an interactive tabletop, has on elementary students’ attitudes toward collaborative technologies, mathematical achievement, and the gender gap in mathematics. Prior research has shown many positive effects of CSCL technologies on mathematics education, such as increased math performance and an increased interest in math. Further, previous research has shown inconsistent results regarding gender differences in mathematics and has not examined the effect that CSCL technology has on the gender gap. Therefore, the effects of interactive tabletops on math performance, attitudes, and gender differences were examined. This study was conducted using a sample of 53 elementary students. The technology was brought to the classroom twice each week for an entire academic semester. To obtain a more accurate understanding of the influence of the CSCL technology, both self-report data and performance data were collected. Specifically, changes in students’ attitudes and reactions and changes in cognitive learning were measured. The results show that students learn and react favorably towards interactive tabletops. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Research on Educational Media: Half a Century of Doing Things Right Rather Than the Right Thing

This paper critically examines research on the influence of educational media on learning. It argues that much of the supposed benefits of media such as greater concreteness, improved learning performance, more efficient learning and increased retention, among others, are not supported by the evidence thus far. Comparative research on different forms of media, and on media attributes have likewise proved inconclusive. The paper goes on to explore reasons for these findings and urges that future studies should focus on studies with media rather than on media.     

Relations among Epistemological Beliefs,Academic Achievement,and Task Performance in Secondary School Students

Students with differing profiles of epistemological beliefs—their beliefs about personal epistemology, intelligence, and learning—vary in thinking, reasoning, motivation, and use of strategies while working on academic tasks, each of which affect learning. This study examined students’ epistemological beliefs according to gender, school orientation, overall academic achievement, and performance on two differently structured academic tasks. Epistemological beliefs in fixed and quick ability to learn, simple knowledge, and certain knowledge differed significantly as a function of gender, school orientation, and levels of academic achievement. These beliefs, particularly the belief in simple knowledge, significantly predicted overall performance and reflective judgment scores on the ill‐structured task but not on the well‐structured task. Implications concerning the relations among epistemological beliefs, reflective judgment, gender, school orientation, task structure, and achievement are discussed.     

Effects of ICT: Do we know what we should know?

Many decades after the introduction of ICT into classrooms there are still unanswered questions about the impact of technology in the long and short term on students’ learning, and how it has affected simple and complex learning tasks. These are important for (a) forming government policies; (b) directing teacher education programmes: (c) advancing national curricula; (d); designing or reforming classroom implementation and (e) analysing costs and benefits. While a plethora of studies has been conducted on the effects of ICT in education, major policy and methodological problems have precluded an unambiguous answer to such questions as:—“Does the way in which ICT is implemented have a major/minor impact on students’ knowledge and understanding?” and “Does the impact affect the surface or deep structure of students’ thinking and acting?” To date we have had no large-scale longitudinal studies of ICT’s impact in education such as we have in the form of studies of earlier major curriculum development projects. Nor have we had many comprehensive studies of the complex interactions between various types of ICT implementation and the effects of other factors such as school-based interventions, socio-economic status and school expenditures which have been shown to have a greater impact on education compared with other previous innovations in education. Furthermore we do not know if previous research studies have used research methods that matched learning objectives to instruments/procedures. Many previous studies are vague as to the actual measures used but we can infer that standardized tests were a frequent measure. In other instances, ad hoc analyses, with criteria that may have varied from analyst to analyst and were not “blind” analyses were certainly used to measure “success.” All of these limitations and uncertainties and many more point to the need for a thorough, rigorous, and multifaceted approach to analysing the impact of ICT on students’ learning. This paper draws on previous research evidence to identify relevant research strategies to address the gaps in our knowledge about ICT and students’ learning explained above.     

Does media affect learning: where are we now?

Conclusion A careful review of the arguments and counter arguments presented by Clark (1983; 1994) and Kozma (1991; 1994), responses published in the past 20 years (Jonassen, Campbell & Davidson, 1994; Morrison, 1994; Reiser, 1994; Shrock, 1994) and existing instructional design literature (Morrison, Ross & Kemp, 2001; Reiser & Dick, 1996; Smith & Ragan, 1999) indicates there is, and always has been, significantly more agreement on this subject than the debate would indicate. Clark never said that a textbook could deliver an instructional method requiring the use of a 3-dimensional graphic representation as effectively as a computer, nor did Kozma maintain that the computer was the only medium with the capabilities to do so. Both acknowledged that the two instructional components — the instructional methods and the delivery medium — must be aligned to facilitate learning. The debate is, and always has been, about the ability of more than one medium to support a selected instructional method, whether or not any given medium has capabilities that cannot be replicated by another medium, and the validity of the research. We believe that today, in 2005: • Computers are capable of supporting instructional methods that other media are not • Computers, by means of their unique capabilities, affect learning • Computers are often the most cost-effective, efficient delivery method for any given unit of instruction We also: • Acknowledge the limitations of media comparison studies • Acknowledge the need to align the message, the medium and the learning task • Agree that some media are interchangeable and • Support the use of the most cost-effective, efficient delivery method for any given unit of instruction We believe that after 22 years it is time to reframe the original debate to ask, not if, but how media affects learning. We agree that media comparison studies are inherently flawed and support the argument that we must identify research designs that will provide answers to this question in significantly less time.     

One‐to‐one mobile technology in high school physics classrooms: Understanding its use and outcome

This study examined ways in which high school students used mobile devices in physics classrooms and after school, and the impact of in‐class and after‐school mobile technology use on their physics learning performance and interest. We collected data from 803 high school freshmen in China after they had used mobile devices for over five months. A fixed‐effects model was employed to control the undetected variances. Results indicated that the students frequently used their mobile devices for physics learning in class and after school. Students also perceived the mobile devices as very useful for their physics learning, and their perception of usefulness was positively correlated with their frequency of use. Both the in‐class and after‐school duration and frequency of mobile technology use positively influenced students' physics learning achievement and interest. However, we also found that mobile technology was mainly used to augment rather than to transform instructional practices in physics classrooms. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications and limitations of these results for research and practice.