Pictorial representations of simple arithmetic problems are not always helpful: a cognitive load perspective

This study examined immigrant parents’ involvement in early years mathematics learning, focusing on learning of multiplication in in- and out-of-school settings. Ethnographic interviews and workshops were conducted in an urban city in Japan, to examine out-of-school practices of immigrant families. Drawing from sociocultural theory of learning and the concept of appropriation (Wertsch, 1998), the role of power and identity was examined in relation to children’s appropriation of an informal multiplication method that was taught by their parents. An intergenerational analysis, between immigrant parents and their children, revealed heterogeneous perspectives towards appropriation. Immigrant parents in this study framed their involvement in their children’s early years mathematics learning in relation to their positional identities and the pressures to conform to the mainstream practices of their host country. During their early years of schooling, students in this study were already aware of academic tracking in the school and were aware of what was believed to be legitimate in school mathematics learning. The significance of diversifying mathematics curriculum and pedagogy was discussed to affirm the knowledge and identities of immigrant students and families.     

A “picture” of children's potential for learning: Looking into strategy changes and working memory by dynamic testing

We examined whether children would show different change-patterns in their strategy use when administered a number of series completion tasks that were presented within a dynamic testing format utilizing a graduated prompts approach. The role of working memory was also examined. An electronic console using tangible objects with sensors enabled the detailed recording of children's responses and solution times. We hypothesized that children who received training (i.e. who were involved in dynamic testing) would progress to more advanced strategy use than non-trained children, and that this would be evident for both verbal and behavioral measures of strategy use. We also sought to examine whether more advanced strategies would be employed by children with higher levels of WM-capacity. It was found that dynamically tested children shifted their verbal strategic behavior to a more advanced level. When examining the behavioral measure, it was found that some children showed the same progression but others who had performed at an advanced level in the pre-test shifted their strategy, unexpectedly, to a heuristic form. Working memory capacity did not appear to play an important role in differentiating between trained groups. Dynamic testing, using electronic console and tangibles with sensors, enabled us to identify strengths and weaknesses in children's learning.     

Learning outcomes and processes in massively multiplayer online games: exploring the perceptions of players

Over the past decade research has recognised the learning potential of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). MMOGs can be used by the technology-enhanced learning research community to study and identify good educational practices that may inspire engaging, creative and motivating approaches for education and learning. To this end, in this research paper, we aim to explore the learning outcomes and processes emerging in the environment of MMOGs by initially studying the relevant perceptions of the players. Based on a theoretical framework referring to the cognitive, the social, and the affective aspects of a technology-supported learning environment, and through a mixed-method research and the analysis of qualitative data from 22 individual and group interviews, and quantitative data from a wider survey (minimum N = 221), we map and examine the cognitive, the skill-based, the social, and the affective potential impact of MMOGs. More specifically this study presents the perceptions of players on the learning impact of MMOGs, the potential transfer of skills to other domains, the learning practices they employ, and elements of the design of the environment that may present positive conditions for learning. We attempt to contribute to the research field and also provide insights for the design of technology-enhanced learning environments, by examining and mapping elements of MMOGs from the perspective of the design of an effective learning environment and based on empirical data.     

Implicit STEM ability beliefs predict secondary school students' STEM self-efficacy beliefs and their intention to opt for a STEM field career

Despite the widely accepted view that low self-efficacy beliefs negatively influence students' intention to opt for a STEM field oriented study or career path, it remains unclear how to effectively stimulate these beliefs in students who do seem to have the ability and motivation to opt for a STEM career. A suggestion from previous literature is that students' implicit beliefs about the malleability of their learning ability can have a major impact on their self-efficacy beliefs, and, importantly, that these implicit beliefs are malleable themselves. Even though this relation between implicit beliefs, self-efficacy, and STEM field aspirations has been suggested multiple times, there is no empirical evidence to support this claim. The goal of the current study was to examine whether implicit beliefs about the malleability of STEM ability are associated with secondary school students' intention to opt for a STEM field bachelor's degree, using a Structural Equation Modelling approach. Furthermore, we examined the mediating role of STEM-oriented self-efficacy beliefs on the relationship between implicit ability beliefs and STEM intention. We used a Likert-type questionnaire, consisting of subscales to measure ability beliefs, self-efficacy, and intention to opt for a STEM degree of secondary school students in their fifth grade (n = 483). Results showed that there is a positive relation between implicit STEM ability beliefs and the intention to opt for a STEM field bachelor degree, and that this relation is partly mediated by self-efficacy beliefs. Incremental STEM ability beliefs predicted positive self-efficacy beliefs and increased STEM intention. These findings provide a foundation for a novel approach to stimulate and motivate students for the STEM field, namely by stimulating incremental beliefs about their STEM ability.