Intuitive Interference in Geometry: An Eye‐Tracking Study

Interference of irrelevant salient variables may cause difficulties for students. This study focused on eye tracking during the comparison of perimeters task, in which area is the interfering irrelevant salient variable. There were three trial types: congruent (larger area—larger perimeter), incongruent inverse (larger area—smaller perimeter), and incongruent equal (larger area—equal perimeter). Behavioral findings corroborated previous studies: congruent trials yielded higher accuracy and a shorter reaction time than did incongruent trials. Surprisingly, the area saliency could not be revealed in fixation location and duration measurements in incongruent inverse trials nor in the heat maps for incongruent inverse or incongruent equal trials, suggesting that such processing does not require overt attention; measures of attention shift from one geometrical shape to another were higher for incongruent equal trials, as was pupil dilation, suggesting that greater effort is associated with solving incongruent equal trials.     

The influence of semantic neighbours on visual word recognition

Although it is assumed that semantics is a critical component of visual word recognition, there is still much that we do not understand. One recent way of studying semantic processing has been in terms of semantic neighbourhood (SN) density, and this research has shown that semantic neighbours facilitate lexical decisions. However, it is not clear if this facilitation reflects actual word recognition processes or is instead due to participant strategies used during the lexical decision task. To address this, the current research used college students as participants and tested the effect of SN density using the semantic categorisation and progressive demasking tasks. Both of these tasks require word identification and are not susceptible to the participant strategies that are seen when using the lexical decision task. The results show that SN facilitates responding in both tasks, indicating that SN effects are not due to task‐specific strategies.     

Aging and Text Comprehension: Interpretation and Domain Knowledge Advantage

In this study, young, middle-aged, and elderly adults read two different history texts. In the knowledge advantage condition, readers read a history text about an event that was well-known to readers of all ages but most familiar to elderly adults. In the no advantage condition, readers read a history text about a political situation of a country that no age groups knew much about. After reading the text, readers recalled and interpreted the texts. Comparison of the recall and the interpretation performance showed that while recall was best in the young group and declined with age, interpretation did not. The middle-aged and elderly adults generated interpretations that were equally deep and more synthetic than those of the young adults. They also generated interpretations with more diverse rationale statements. As for the effect of knowledge advantage its effect on text recall was straightforward: although not significant, age-group differences in recall were smaller in the knowledge advantage condition than in the no advantage condition, suggesting that age-related decline in recall can be moderated by older adults' knowledge advantage. The effect of knowledge advantage on text interpretation was less clear-cut. While knowledge facilitated interpretations, the facilitation was not uniform across different measures of interpretations, suggesting a complex interaction between text interpretation and knowledge.     

人工鱼群算法在图像配准中的应用

图像配准是图像处理的基本任务之一,是图像融合、目标识别等的前提。文章将基于行为的人工智能思想通过动物自治体的模式引入优化命题的解决中,构造了一种解决问题的架构—鱼群模式,并由此产生了一种高效的智能优化算法—人工鱼群算法(AFSA),进而提出以人工鱼群算法为优化搜索策略的人工鱼群算法在图像配准中的应用。     

Diagram processing procedures

The purpose of this study was to determine and describe the procedures used by students in French secondary schools (normal age ranging from eleven to fifteen years). In order to relate measures represented in graphic form to measures given in numerical form, these students were found to implement procedures suited to multiplicative problem solving involving isomorphism of measures. But other more specific procedures — both qualitative and quantitative — were also employed, most likely due to the graphic nature of the task. Moreover, a high degree of variability in procedure selection was observed. This variability is a reflection of the fact that in addition to operational devices specific to problem solving, these children also have at their disposal decision-making rules that partially depend on task content.     

Problem solving, recall, and mapping relations in isomorphic transfer and nonisomorphic transfer among preschoolers and elementary school children

Analogical problem-solving processes were studied in 4 experiments using 5- and 7-move scheduling problems. Subjects were preschool and elementary school children. On each acquisition trial, the child heard a list of statements representing the exact series of moves necessary to solve the problem and was immediately asked to recall the list. Physical materials representing the problem were then produced and the child was asked to solve it. In transfer only setting/constraint information was provided prior to problem solving. In the first study, mapping processes were explored in nonisomorphic transfer tasks with different constraints and problem spaces. Mapping processes were very good, except when a feature of the base was mapped to a misleading cue in the transfer problems. The second study revealed that combining the problem-solving task with the recall task facilitated isomorphic transfer but not nonisomorphic transfer. The 2 remaining studies revealed that preschool children show excellent isomorphic transfer in both 5- and 7-move problems. The major developmental difference was in how the children ordered the propositions in their recall protocols. The findings were discussed in terms of problem spaces, flexibility of transfer, and developmental theory.     

Communication patterns in computer mediated versus face-to-face group problem solving

Research has shown that when group problem solving is computer mediated, communications become more task oriented with clearer role expectations, while face-to-face communications are more cohesive and personal. None of this research has examined those patterns of interactions in terms of the problem solving activities engaged. In this study, we compared the perceptions of participants, the nature of the comments made, and the patterns of communication in face-to-face and computer-mediated groups in terms of problem-solving activities while solving well-structured and ill-structured problems. The quantity of messages in the computer conference was smaller but more task related than in the face-to-face conversations because participants reflected more on ideas and perspectives in reaching their decisions. A cluster analysis of communication patterns showed that computer-mediated group decisions more closely resembled the general problem-solving process of problem definition, orientation, and solution development as group interaction progressed, while the face-to-face group interactions tended to follow a linear sequence of interactions. Participants who solved problems through computer conferencing were more satisfied with the process and believed that there was a greater quality in the problem-solving process.     

数学学科教育眼动研究的应用与启示

国内外的相关研究表明,眼动研究可以通过对数学问题解决过程中的眼动轨迹进行记录以及对注视时间、注视次数等眼动指标的分析,进而了解数学问题解决过程中,大脑的内部加工机制。数学学科能力主要体现为数学问题的解决能力,通过数学学科教育中的眼动研究文献分析发现,眼动研究有助于探寻数学问题解决过程中注意分配及加工策略选择过程。在数学学科教育中针对这些认知加工的特点进行策略教学旨在:培养高效的注意能力、提取关键的表征信息、激发多知识体系的想象力,更好地提高学科教育的有效性。     

The relation between time spent on the written recall task and the memory of L2 text

The free recall task has gained popularity among researchers in the field of second language reading research recently. Because of its prevalent use in L2 reading research, increased attention is being given to an examination of the use of the recall task as a measure of L2 reading comprehension. An examination of the existing literature revealed that studies employing the recall task to measure reading comprehension varied in the time allowed for recall. Whether the variation in the length of time spent in doing the recall influenced the quantity and quality of L2 readers?? recall, however, remained unexplored. Examining and understanding the effects of variation in the implementation of the recall task are important because theory building entails comparability of findings with various research designs. A total of 180 college students participated in this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of the conditions??time-unconstrained and time-constrained. The results showed that the length of time allowed for reading when doing the immediate written recall task significantly influences L2 readers?? recall performance. Participants in the unconstrained time condition, regardless of proficiency level, recalled significantly more information than participants in the constrained time condition.     

Enhancing learning by retrieval: Enriching free recall with elaborative prompting

It is well-established in memory research that retrieval fosters learning. When applying this effect in education, it is an important question which type of retrieval task works best. Several studies have shown that learning is enhanced by linking new information with prior knowledge. A potential approach to making retrieval more effective, therefore, is to enrich retrieval instructions with the requirement to elaborate on the learning contents and link them to what is already known. In this study, we compared a free recall condition, as used in many studies on learning by retrieval, with a prompted recall condition in which learners were required to recall the information and apply it to their lives. Fifty-six undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of these two conditions. They learned from a video-recorded lecture. One week later, learning outcomes were assessed by a posttest measuring fact recall and comprehension of the contents from the video lecture. Learners in the prompted recall group, compared to the free recall group, used more elaborative strategies in response to the recall task and achieved better comprehension scores. The effect on comprehension was mediated by the use of elaborative strategies. This pattern of results supports the constructive retrieval hypothesis, stating that retrieval is most effective when it involves constructive elaboration of the contents being learned. Our findings also encourage the use of pedagogical tasks in classroom teaching that combine elaboration and retrieval.