Cognitive Styles: an integrated model

Abstract Cognitive styles are potentially useful in education as a means of characterizing stable individual differences that influence the effectiveness of teaching and learning. However, anyone interested in using styles in either research or practice is faced with a literature that is not only disorganized but also dated. Little basic research is being done to clarify the conceptual and measurement problems that bedevil the field. One way to revive interest in basic research would be to link ‘traditional’ conceptions of cognitive styles with the more vigorous field of cognitive psychology. This might result in new ways of conceptualizing individual styles, as well as resolving the problem of the relationships between styles. In this paper, I take a step in this direction by integrating some of the more common conceptions of cognitive styles into an information processing model of cognition.     

An overview of game-based learning in building services engineering education

To ensure proper competence development and short graduation times for engineering students, it is essential that the study motivation is encouraged by new learning methods. In game-based learning, the learner's engagement is increased and learning is made meaningful by applying game-like features such as competition and rewarding through virtual promotions or achievement badges. In this paper, the state of the art of game-based learning in building services engineering education at university level is reviewed and discussed. A systematic literature review indicates that educational games have been reported in the field of related disciplines, such as mechanical and civil engineering. The development of system-level educational games that realistically simulate work life in building services engineering is still in its infancy. Novel rewarding practices and more comprehensive approaches entailing the state-of-the-art information tools such as building information modelling, geographic information systems, building management systems and augmented reality are needed in the future.     

Preschool-Aged Siblings of Adjudicated Youths: Multiple Risk Factors for Conduct Problems

Younger siblings of adolescents with histories of antisocial behavior are at high risk for developing conduct problems. Information about risk exposure in youths at familial risk for conduct problems is critical to the design of informed preventive interventions. The prevalence of well-validated risk factors for conduct problems was examined in a sample of 92 preschool-aged siblings of adjudicated youths. As expected, preschoolers at familial risk for conduct problems were exposed to a range of sociocultural, biological, and parenting risks. Risk exposure was associated with concurrent conduct problems and social competence in the preschool period. Only a minority of preschoolers was reported by parents to have clinically significant conduct problems, and this subgroup had more risks than children with conduct problems in the normal range. Findings are discussed in the context of preventive interventions for high-risk children and families.     

Assessing Differential Item Functioning in Direct Writing Assessments: Problems and an Example

The recent emphasis on various types of performance assessments raises questions concerning the differential effects of such assessments on population subgroups. Procedures for detecting differential item functioning (DIF) in data from performance assessments are available but may be hindered by problems that stem from this mode of assessment. Foremost among these are problems related to finding an appropriate matching variable. These problems are discussed and results are presented for three methods for DIF detection in polytomous items using data from a direct writing assessment. The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of using different combinations of internal and external matching variables. The procedures included a generalized Mantel-Haenszel statistic, a technique based on meta-analysis methodology, and logistic discriminant function analysis. In general, the results did not support the use of an external matching criterion and indicated that continued problems may be expected in attempts to assess DIF in performance assessments.     

Humorous materials to enhance active learning

The use of humour in teaching and learning can be contentious, with some authors suggesting that the efficacy of humorous materials is mediated by the culture of the student. Nevertheless, humour represents a potential vehicle for the introduction of active learning in a classroom setting, as judicious use of humour may lead to a more relaxed learning atmosphere and greater student engagement. This article describes how humour was used to good effect in creating a suite of online materials designed to enhance the academic English skills of international students. The materials, funded through a grant from the Office for Learning and Teaching and now openly accessible on the English for Uni website, were developed using an action research process. This involved an iterative process of designing, trialling and evaluating the resources to ensure that humour was used appropriately. In the final stages, Biggs’ Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome taxonomy was also used to evaluate student learning. The results show that the materials improved students’ understanding of the topics presented on the site and that the element of humour stimulated student interest in learning.