Cognitive load in hypermedia reading comprehension: Influence of text type and linearity

In this paper the assumption of cognitive overhead in hypermedia learning is specified by cognitive load theory. This analysis is based on different types of cognitive load, the dimension of linearity/non-linearity as well as text characteristics. We propose a model stating that extraneous cognitive load in hypermedia learning is basically determined by the interaction of text presentation format (linear/non-linear) with text type (text with and without narrative structures). This assumption was tested by means of a 2 × 2 experimental design. Sixty participants completed a computer-based learning program that contained a narrative text or an encyclopaedia text in either linear or non-linear presentation format. Results confirm the suggested interaction hypothesis postulating that non-linear information presentation of narrative text structure increases cognitive load and decreases knowledge acquisition. However, for encyclopaedia text participants’ knowledge acquisition was not affected by linear or non-linear presentation format. Furthermore, results suggest a cross-validation of cognitive load measures and propositional analysis.     

Supporting problem-solving performance in a hypermedia learning environment: The role of students’ prior knowledge and metacognitive skills

This study investigated how students with different prior knowledge and metacognitive skills benefited from continuous and faded domain-general and domain-specific scaffolds. Students’ scores on a multiple-choice pretest, inventory of metacognitive self-regulation, and solution forms were analyzed. Results indicated that while students with lower regulation of cognition and objectivity benefited more from the domain-general scaffolds than the domain-specific ones, students with lower prior knowledge, knowledge of cognition, and problem representation took advantage of both domain-general and domain-specific conditions. Moreover, while students with lower prior knowledge, regulation of cognition, and problem representation took advantage of both continuous and faded domain-general scaffolds, students with lower knowledge of cognition and objectivity benefited more from the domain-general continuous conditions. In addition, students with lower prior knowledge, knowledge of cognition, and objectivity might have difficulties when the domain-specific conditions are faded. On the other hand, results of the study suggested that scaffolds did not substantially benefit the students with higher prior knowledge and higher metacognitive skills.     

Bridging the gap between analysis and design: improving existing driver interfaces with tools from the framework of cognitive work analysis

Two studies of train driving are presented, both within the framework of cognitive work analysis. In the first study, the modelling tool abstraction–decomposition space is adapted to routine conditions, making the analysis more representative for normal procedures. A major contribution to these analyses was the use of the method for ‘collegial verbalisation’. One particular advantage with this method over other verbalisation methods is that it supplies the analysts with data that contain much more information, but not at the expense of being more subjective. On the contrary, this method produces think-aloud protocols from video-recordings that do not have to be interpreted by the researcher. From these analyses, it was possible to distinguish information that is an intrinsic part of the train driver task from information that is dependent on the configuration and design of the current support system. The analyses show that the driver works in three rather separate time intervals with a long-range, a short-term and an immediate sense of perspective. The driver switches between these while travelling between two stations. Based on these behaviour-shaping constraints, a prototype of a planning area of a driver interface was developed, making feed-forward planning possible for the driver. Four design iterations were completed, using a user-centred system design (UCSD) approach. Early tests show that the planning area of the interface supports the feed-forward decision strategy used by drivers who prefer an active driving style. However, the driver group also made substantial changes in the design, indicating that UCSD is an efficient tool in order to capture user competencies, and to bridge the gap between analysis and design.     

Towards a learning networked organisation: human capital, compatibility and usability in e-learning systems

In all parts of organisations there flourish developments of different new subsystems in areas of knowledge and learning. Over recent decades, new systems for classification of jobs have emerged both at the level of organisations and at a macro-labour market level. Recent developments in job evaluation systems make it possible to cope with the new demands for equity at work (between, for example, genders, races, physical abilities). Other systems have emerged to describe job requirements in terms of skills, knowledge and competence. Systems for learning at work and web-based learning have created a demand for new ways to classify and to understand the process of learning. Often these new systems have been taken from other areas of the organisation not directly concerned with facilitating workplace learning. All these new systems are of course closely interrelated but, in most organisations, a major problem is the severe lack of cohesion and compatibility between the different subsystems. The aim of this paper is to propose a basis for how different human resource systems can be integrated into the business development of an organisation. We discuss this problem and develop proposals alternative to integrated macro-systems. A key element in our proposition is a structure for classification of knowledge and skill to be used in all parts of the process. This structure should be used as an added dimension or an overlay on all other subsystems of the total process. This will facilitate a continued use of all existing systems within different organisations. We develop Burge's (personal communication) model for learning to show that learning is not a successive linear process, but rather an iterative process. In this way we emphasise the need for greater involvement of learners in the development of learning systems towards increased usability in a networked system. This paper is divided into two parts which are closely related. The first part gives an overview of the lack of compatibility between the different subsystems. In this first part we note two paradoxes which impact learning and for which we propose solutions. The second part deals with 'usability' aspects of these competency-related systems; in particular, usability in e-learning systems. In this second part we describe an example of a new organisational structure. We conclude by discussing four key concepts that are necessary conditions for organisations to address when developing their human capital. Establishing these conditions helps ensure compatibility and usability in e-learning systems.     

An investigation into the use of CAL and the dialogue strategy in a tutorial context

This article describes the use of CAL and the dialogue strategy as a basis for tutorial work. The sample (11 = 164) consists of staff, teachers and students in a College of Education. It is an attitudinal study and serves to emphasize the importance in certain subject areas of an open-ended approach based on an analysis of the knowledge structure inherent in the discipline itself. It emphasizes the need for models using different levels of teaching, as well as different approaches according to individual learning needs. Such models should be pursued regardless of the constraints imposed by the limitations of computer languages currently available. Reference is made to logic programming (PROLOG) and its relevance for this area of work, as well as the authoring language PLOT for tutorial programs.     

Learning performance with interactive simulations in medical education: Lessons learned from results of learning complex physiological models with the HAEMOdynamics SIMulator

Objective

Since simulations are often accepted uncritically, with excessive emphasis being placed on technological sophistication at the expense of underlying psychological and educational theories, we evaluated the learning performance of simulation software, in order to gain insight into the proper use of simulations for application in medical education.

Design

The authors designed and evaluated a software packet, following of user-centered development, which they call Haemodynamics Simulator (HAEMOSIM), for the simulation of complex physiological models, e.g., the modeling of arterial blood flow dependent on the pressure gradient, radius and bifurcations; shear–stress and blood flow profiles depending on viscosity and radius.

Measurements

In a quasi-experimental real-life setup, the authors compared the learning performance of 96 medical students for three conditions: (1) conventional text-based lesson; (2) HAEMOSIM alone and (3) HAEMOSIM with a combination of additional material and support, found necessary during user-centered development. The individual student’s learning time was unvarying in all three conditions.

Results

While the first two settings produced equivalent results, the combination of additional support and HAEMOSIM yielded a significantly higher learning performance. These results are discussed regarding Mayer’s multimedia learning theory, Sweller’s cognitive load theory, and claims of prior research on utilizing interactive simulations for learning.

Conclusion

The results showed that simulations can be beneficial for learning complex concepts, however, interacting with sophisticated simulations strain the limitation of cognitive processes; therefore successful application of simulations require careful additional guidance from medical professionals and a certain amount of previous knowledge on the part of the learners. The inclusion of pedagogical and psychological expertise into the design and development of educational software is essential.     

Effects of technical and social design on virtual community identification: a comparison approach

We investigated how virtual community (VC) design, both technical and social decisions adopted by VC management teams, might affect the development of members’ identification with the VC. Adopting a comparison approach developed in studying formal organisational identification, we develop the research model explaining the effects of VC design on VC identification. A survey study involving 412 members from seven VCs revealed that identified VC design factors (community presentation and community empowerment) have significant impacts on identification by making the perceived VC identities attractive. We concluded with a discussion of the key managerial and research implications of our findings.     

The interactive use of a video database in teacher education: Creating a knowledge base for teaching through a learning community

This study explores how pre-service student teachers acquired knowledge of good teaching practices through the interactive use of a video database and an online discussion forum, where the student teachers shared their teaching videos and received comments or suggestions from members of a learning community. A small group of student teachers was involved in this collaborative learning community during their teaching practicum in their third and fourth years of study. Content analysis of the sharing in the discussion forum and individual student teacher reflections provides insight into the use of a collaborative learning community to create a knowledge base for teaching. Suggestions regarding how this new technology can support teacher education are discussed.     

Anticipating the use of future things: Towards a framework for prospective use analysis in innovation design projects

Anticipation of future product use is a persistent issue in User-Centered Design. In this paper, we argue that one obstacle to early integration of use analysis in innovation design is overreliance on retrospective use analysis, i.e. that which is based on clear references to existing products or activities. In contrast, innovation design projects are full of uncertainty, leading to a need for prospective analysis. After having described some limitations of prospective use analysis, we contend that creativity tools may be used to assist the anticipation of future product use, by allowing designers to approach the variability of situations of future use in a structured manner rather than by “muddling through”. We illustrate the expected benefits of this approach with two case studies, and describe some prospects for future research and practice in ergonomics.     

Supporting groups in sorting decisions: Methodology and use of a multi-criteria aggregation/disaggregation DSS

This paper addresses the situation where a group wishes to cooperatively develop a common multicriteria evaluation model to sort actions (projects, candidates) into classes. It is based on an aggregation/disaggregation approach for the ELECTRE TRI method, implemented on the Decision Support System IRIS. We provide a methodology in which the group discusses how to sort some exemplary actions (possibly fictitious ones), instead of discussing what values the model parameters should take. This paper shows how IRIS may be used to help the group to iteratively reach an agreement on how to sort one or a few actions at a time, preserving the consistency of these sorting examples both at the individual level and at the collective level. The computation of information that may guide the discussion among the group members is also suggested. We provide an illustrative example and discuss some paths for future research motivated by this work.     

The coordination of work activities: Cooperation and conflict in a hospital context

An understanding of the ways in which work coordination is achieved in practice is essential to the development of effective CSCW technologies. However, previous studies are limited in their focus on small, self-contained work groups. In this analysis of work coordination in a hospital context, a broader perspective was adopted, allowing examination of activities across time, group and location. The use of a relevant structured methodology and a focus on deviations from formal procedures enabled the consideration of a range of contextual factors in interaction: Important aspects of work coordination to emerge included: status influences on the effectiveness of working practices; the social and political uses of information; conflicts between work goals and between motivations for coordinating activities; the role of informal practices; and the use of formal procedures to regulate inter-group relations. The implications of these issues for CSCW design in the hospital context are illustrated.     

Online university students' satisfaction and persistence: Examining perceived level of presence, usefulness and ease of use as predictors in a structural model

Learners’ satisfaction and persistence are considered critical success factors in online universities where all of the teaching and learning activities are carried out online. This study aims to investigate the structural relationships among perceived level of presence, perceived usefulness and ease of use of the online learning tools, learner satisfaction and persistence in an online university located in South Korea. The specific predictors were teaching presence, social presence, cognitive presence, and perceived usefulness and ease of use. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to provide cause-and-effect inferences. The study participants were 709 learners who enrolled in a Korean online university in 2009 and responded to online surveys. The results indicated that teaching presence, cognitive presence, and perceived usefulness and ease of use were significant predictors of learner satisfaction, which was found to be a significant mediator of predictors and persistence. The findings provided substantial implications for designing and implementing teaching and learning strategies in online university environments.     

Embodied actions in time and place: The cooperative design of a multimedia, educational computer game

This paper reports a field study of the design of a multimedia, educational software product, from the early articulations about the kind of product to be made, to the production of the prototype used for capital raising. The designers were members of a small distributed company who used computer systems and communication technology, as well as highly developed communication skills and procedures, to enable them to work together over distance. The focus of the paper is the work people did to create and maintain the cooperative design process within a specific organisational framework and in relation to the design of an actual product. The basic conclusion is that the cooperative design of the product was enabled and achieved by the work the designers did communicating with each other. Any future selection of additional CSCW technology by the company will be determined by its contribution to the communicative resources of the designers.     

Prior knowledge in learning from a non-linear electronic document: Disorientation and coherence of the reading sequences

A study was carried out to investigate the effects of prior knowledge on learning with a non-linear electronic document including an interactive conceptual map. Cognitive Load Theory was used as theoretical framework to investigate effects on cognitive load and disorientation in learning from non-linear documents. Forty-four future high school biology teachers were required to learn the multiplication cycle of a virus from either a hierarchical structure (organisational links) or a network structure (relational links). For the low prior knowledge learners, the results showed that the hierarchical structure supported better free recall performance and reduced feelings of disorientation. In contrast, the high prior knowledge learners performed better and followed more coherent reading sequences in the network structure. However, no interaction effect between prior knowledge and the type of structure was observed on mental effort and disorientation ratings. The results and the construct of disorientation are discussed in light of the processing demands in non-linear documents.     

Tools for the job: a report of two surveys of information and communications technology training and use for literacy in primary schools in the West of England

Substantial investment has been made in improving computer hardware and raising the profile of information and communications technology (ICT) in English primary schools in recent years, in line with the belief that skills in ICT are essential for our future workforce ( DfEE/QCA 2000 ). This study compares practising teachers' responses in 1998 and 2001 to a questionnaire about the aims and uses of ICT in primary schools for literacy activities. It discusses the changes in what teachers want and their understanding of the task the government has given them to do. A commonly cited problem is finding time to absorb the new technology to maximise its pedagogic potential.