英语词汇情景化认知工具的设计与研究

该研究以心理词典理论、二语词汇习得理论为指导,构建了英语词汇主题语义网络,并以此为依据设计、开发了英语词汇情景化认知工具。试用结果显示,该工具在促进学生英语词汇学习方面具有较好效果。     

ECM理论与典型英语新闻听力教学

事件域认知模型理论是由我国著名认知语言学家王寅教授提出的,从认知语言学的角度出发,对王寅教授的事件域认知模型在英语新闻中的体现作了细微的补充,以揭示英语新闻的内部结构和外部影响因素,进而从认知的角度,来探讨如何在英语新闻听力教学中培养学生运用该模型理解英语新闻的能力。     

Towards a Framework for Attention Cueing in Instructional Animations: Guidelines for Research and Design

This paper examines the transferability of successful cueing approaches from text and static visualization research to animations. Theories of visual attention and learning as well as empirical evidence for the instructional effectiveness of attention cueing are reviewed and, based on Mayer’s theory of multimedia learning, a framework was developed for classifying three functions for cueing: (1) selection—cues guide attention to specific locations, (2) organization—cues emphasize structure, and (3) integration—cues explicate relations between and within elements. The framework was used to structure the discussion of studies on cueing in animations. It is concluded that attentional cues may facilitate the selection of information in animations and sometimes improve learning, whereas organizational and relational cueing requires more consideration on how to enhance understanding. Consequently, it is suggested to develop cues that work in animations rather than borrowing effective cues from static representations. Guidelines for future research on attention cueing in animations are presented.     

The Mirror Neuron System and Observational Learning: Implications for the Effectiveness of Dynamic Visualizations

Learning by observing and imitating others has long been recognized as constituting a powerful learning strategy for humans. Recent findings from neuroscience research, more specifically on the mirror neuron system, begin to provide insight into the neural bases of learning by observation and imitation. These findings are discussed here, along with their potential consequences for the design of instruction, focusing in particular on the effectiveness of dynamic vs. static visualizations.

Mother's age at arrival in the United States and early cognitive development

This paper focuses on the cognitive development of young children from diverse backgrounds with a particular focus on ethnic and nativity differences in home environments. Hypotheses are developed addressing the extent to which home environment and parenting practices mediate the relationship between mother's age at arrival and cognitive development in early childhood. Data from the first two waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth cohort are employed. Children whose mothers arrived in the United States at the youngest ages (0–7 years) have similar cognitive scores to children whose mothers are born in the United States once socioeconomic status and family background are considered. Multivariate analyses indicate parenting practices and home environment are associated with cognitive development and act as partial mediators between cognitive scores and mother's age at arrival. Overall, the results highlight the need to consider parental migration experiences and differences in the home environments of children of immigrants in the United States as sources of variation in outcomes for the second-generation.     

Effects of motivational and cognitive variables on reading comprehension

The authors examined how motivational and cognitive variables predict reading comprehension, and whether each predictor variable adds unique explanatory power when statistically controlling for the others. Fourth-grade students (N = 205) completed measures of reading comprehension in September and December of the same year, and measures of background knowledge and cognitive strategy use in December. Teachers rated internal reading motivation of each student. Results from multiple regression analyses showed that motivation, background knowledge, and cognitive strategy-use made significant, independent contributions to children’s reading comprehension when the other predictor variables were controlled. Further analyses showed the same cognitive and motivational variables predicted growth over a 3-month period in reading comprehension. Possible explanations of the observed relations between motivation, cognitive variables, and reading comprehension are presented.     

Managing cognitive load during document-based learning

Designers of interactive learning environments face the issue of managing the learner's cognitive load, reducing irrelevant sources while optimizing useful sources of load. I propose a conceptual framework aimed at organizing the contributions of the papers presented in this special issue. The framework identifies three main dimensions, namely individual, task and environment, which may have specific or combined effects on the amount and type of cognitive load experienced during learning activities. I summarize some of the findings presented in the special issue with respect to each of these dimensions. Then I discuss some limitations of the studies and some perspectives for further research in the domain. I emphasize the need to control learners’ level of familiarity with the task setting and environment features, not just their prior knowledge of the content area, in order to obtain reliable assessments of cognitive load and learning outcomes.     

Intuitive vs analytical thinking: four perspectives

This article is an attempt to place mathematical thinking in the context of more general theories of human cognition. We describe and compare four perspectives—mathematics, mathematics education, cognitive psychology, and evolutionary psychology—each offering a different view on mathematical thinking and learning and, in particular, on the source of mathematical errors and on ways of dealing with them in the classroom. The four perspectives represent four levels of explanation, and we see them not as competing but as complementing each other. In the classroom or in research data, all four perspectives may be observed. They may differentially account for the behavior of different students on the same task, the same student in different stages of development, or even the same student in different stages of working on a complex task. We first introduce each of the perspectives by reviewing its basic ideas and research base. We then show each perspective at work, by applying it to the analysis of typical mathematical misconceptions. Our illustrations are based on two tasks: one from statistics (taken from the psychological research literature) and one from abstract algebra (based on our own research).

Exploring the nature of divergent thinking: A multilevel analysis

In this study, a large sample with a clustered data structure from an educational context was utilized to analyze the relationship between cognitive abilities, school type, gender, and divergent thinking. The sample comprised 1098 students in 55 classrooms. A sequence of nested multilevel regression analyses revealed that processing capacity, as a core component of intelligence, as well as processing speed shared a significant amount of variance with divergent thinking. Additionally, school type affected divergent thinking even when controlling for intellectual abilities. Furthermore, a significant gender difference in divergent thinking favouring females was found. Gender differences as well as the effect of processing capacity and processing speed varied across classrooms, reflecting differences in the classroom environment. The nature of the relationships of cognitive and social factors to divergent thinking was considered.     

听力学习成功者与不成功者在认知策略上的差异

该文采用定量与定性相结合的方法,对高三学生英语听力认知策略的差异性进行了调查.结果发现英语听力学习成功者比不成功者更多地使用了推理策略和联想发挥策略;两组学生都对母语有一定程度的依赖,但不成功组对母语的依赖程度更深;成功者比不成功者能更灵活有效地使用听力策略,而策略使用的有效性与学生的语言水平以及学生的短期记忆能力等语言学能密切相关.