Short- and long-term effects of students’ self-directed metacognitive prompts on navigation behavior and learning performance

This study seeks to promote learning in computer-based learning environments utilizing students’ self-directed metacognitive prompts. Such prompts are based on the idea of instructing students to design their own metacognitive scaffolds and learn with them afterward. In a pre-post experimental design, students in the experimental group (n = 35) were instructed to configure their own metacognitive prompts before learning whereas students in the control group (n = 35) learned without prompts. Log file analysis of navigation behavior indicates that students who learned with their individually designed, self-directed prompts visited relevant webpages significantly more often and spent a longer time on them compared with students in the control group. Moreover, participants in the experimental group attained better transfer performance immediately after learning. The long-term effect in transfer performance was even greater in a follow-up learning session conducted after three weeks without any instructional support in either group. These results are consistent with theories of metacognition and self-regulated learning and indicate that self-directed prompts can lead to sustainable effects.     

Instructing students on effective sequences of examples and problems: Does self-regulated learning improve from knowing what works and why?

Nowadays, students often practice problem-solving skills in online learning environments with the help of examples and problems. This requires them to self-regulate their learning. It is questionable how novices self-regulate their learning from examples and problems and whether they need support. The present study investigated the open questions (1) to what extent students' (novices) task selections align with instructional design principles and (2) whether informing them about these principles would improve their task selections, learning outcomes, and motivation. Higher education students (N = 150) learned a problem-solving procedure by fixed sequences of examples and problems (FS-condition), or by self-regulated learning (SRL). The SRL participants selected tasks from a database, varying in format, complexity, and cover story, either with (ISRL-condition) or without (SRL-condition) watching a video detailing the instructional design principles. Students' task-selection patterns in both SRL conditions largely corresponded to the principles, although tasks were built up in complexity more often in the ISRL-condition than in the SRL-condition. Moreover, there was still room for improvement in students' task selections after solving practice problems. The video instruction helped students to better apply certain principles, but did not enhance learning and motivation. Finally, there were no test performance or motivational differences among conditions. Although these findings might suggest it is relatively ‘safe’ to allow students to independently start learning new problems-solving tasks using examples and problems, caution is warranted: It is unclear whether these findings generalize to other student populations, as the students participating in this study have had some experience with similar tasks or learning with examples. Moreover, as there was still room for improvement in students' task selections, follow-up research should investigate how we can further improve self-regulated learning from examples and practice problems.     

Modeling teachers' influence on learners' self-directed use of technology for language learning outside the classroom

Teachers are important social agents who shape the quantity and quality of students' self-directed use of technology for learning outside the classroom. This study aimed to model the influence of teacher behaviors on learners' self-directed technology use. A conceptual model of three types of teacher support (affection support, capacity support and behavior support) that were reported to influence students' self-directed technology use for learning outside the classroom was generated based on interviews with 15 undergraduate foreign language learners. One hundred and sixty undergraduate foreign language learners were then surveyed to test the conceptual model. The path analysis of the survey data suggested that affection support influenced learner self-directed technology use through strengthened perceived usefulness, and that capacity support and behavior support influenced learner self-directed technology use through enhanced facilitating conditions and computer self-efficacy. The research findings highlight the importance of raising teachers' awareness of the different roles they can play and of enhancing their abilities to perform a combination of the roles to promote learner self-directed use of technology for learning outside the classroom.     

Reflection prompts and tutor feedback in a web-based learning environment: effects on students' self-regulated learning competence

This study investigated the effects of reflection prompts and tutor feedback on the development of students' self-regulated learning competence (i.e. SRLC). In a web-based learning environment forty-two students completed a study task with embedded prompts eliciting reflection. The reflection prompts could either deal with aspects of self-regulated learning or not. In addition, the students could either receive electronic feedback from a tutor on their reflection expressions or not. The inventory of learning styles that was used to register development of the SRLC revealed a significant progress on the regulation subscales as a function of tutor feedback. An interaction between the students' evaluations of reflection prompts and tutor feedback indicated that the prompts that were related to aspects of self-regulated learning were perceived as less disturbing than the non-SRLC related prompts, especially when combined with tutor feedback. This study offers indications for the practical value of the combination of reflection prompts and tutor feedback as a promising means to develop students' SRLC in distance education applying a web-based learning environment.     

A multivariate investigation of gender differences in the number of online tests received-checking for perceived self-regulation

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the number of formative e-tests taken differed by gender, using students' perceived self-regulation levels as a covariate. The sample was 340 teacher candidates reached through purposeful sampling. The study lasted a semester; students were involved in a blended learning environment where classroom lessons supported by self-regulatory e-tests as a part of an online course management system, called MOODLE. It was possible for students to take 10-item online quizzes and 20-item practice tests as many as they wanted. In the analysis, a factorial ANOVA design was applied. Findings indicated a moderate correlation between the number of formative e-tests taken and the perceived self-regulation levels, indicating higher perceived self-regulation levels as the number of formative e-tests increased. By using perceived self-regulation levels as a covariate, the gender differences in the number of e-tests taken were also investigated. According to finding, gender variable did not explain the differences in the compound variable “the number of formative e-tests”. However, after controlling for the effect of perceived self-regulation, the findings were significant. Hence, we can conclude that self-regulated behavior is independent of students' gender; therefore, e-assessments is a self-regulated, technology-based instructional aid in higher education.     

LEARNING BY TEACHING: A NEW AGENT PARADIGM FOR EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses Betty's Brain, a teachable agent in the domain of river ecosystems that combines learning by teaching with self-regulation mentoring to promote deep learning and understanding. Two studies demonstrate the effectiveness of this system. The first study focused on components that define student-teacher interactions in the learning by teaching task. The second study examined the value of adding meta-cognitive strategies that governed Betty's behavior and self-regulation hints provided by a mentor agent. The study compared three versions: a system where the student was tutored by a pedagogical agent, a learning by teaching system, where students taught a baseline version of Betty, and received tutoring help from the mentor, and a learning by teaching system, where Betty was enhanced to include self-regulation strategies, and the mentor provided help on domain material on how to become better learners and better teachers. Results indicate that the addition of the self-regulated Betty and the self-regulation mentor better prepared students to learn new concepts later, even when they no longer had access to the SRL environment.     

Learning variables,in-class laptop multitasking and academic performance: A path analysis

This study examines the relationships among learning variables, multitasking, and academic performance. Based on a survey with 176 college students, zero-order correlations were first tested between multitasking behaviors and grade. After identifying the relevant multitasking behavior (i.e., multitasking with laptops in lecture halls), the multitasking pattern was entered into a path analysis in order to understand its impact on grade, in comparison to learning variables. It is found that in-class laptop multitasking has a negative impact on grade, with an effect size similar to the impacts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, although in a reversed direction. Furthermore, the path analysis shows that self-regulation behaviors are negatively associated with in-class laptop multitasking, suggesting that we should look at in-class laptop multitasking as lack of self-regulation. Finally, the results indicate that self-efficacy and extrinsic motivation influence self-regulation behaviors, implying that educators and parents need to encourage students' self-regulation of laptop multitasking behaviors through building students' senses of self-efficacy and learning motivations (or employing strategies where laptops are used deliberately as part of class), instead of simply banning laptops in classrooms.     

Toward a mathematical model of motivation,volition, and performance

The goal of this study was to (1) empirically examine factors that affect human performance in a simulation-based learning environment, employing the framework of the integrative theory of Motivation, Volition, and Performance (MVP) (Keller, 2008a) and (2) develop and statistically evaluate a mathematical MVP model that can be applied to other digital learning environments. The development of a mathematical MVP model can provide empirical support for the elements included in the MVP theory and serve as a tool for designing effective digital learning environments. A regression analysis of motivational, volitional, and performance data of 62 graduate students that interacted with an online simulation revealed a significant model that explained approximately 70% of the variation in student satisfaction through motivational and volitional processing variables suggested by the MVP theory. Students' interest and curiosity toward the learning environment had the highest positive predicting power on students' satisfaction, while the volition processing variable had the lowest predicting power. Implications for the digital learning environments design and directions for future research are discussed.     

The role of academic emotions in the relationship between perceived academic control and self-regulated learning in online learning

Self-regulated learning is recognized as a critical factor for successful online learning, and students' perceived academic control and academic emotions are important antecedents of self-regulated learning. Because emotions and cognition are interrelated, investigating the joint relationship between perceived academic control and academic emotions on self-regulated learning would be valuable to understanding the process of self-regulated learning. Therefore, this study examined the role of academic emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom) in the relationship between perceived academic control and self-regulated learning in online learning. The path model was proposed to test the mediating and moderating effects of academic emotions. Data were collected from 426 Korean college students registered in online courses, and a path analysis was conducted. The results demonstrated that enjoyment mediated the relationship between perceived academic control and self-regulated learning, but the moderating effect of enjoyment was not significant. Boredom and anxiety did not have significant mediating effects on self-regulated learning, whereas they showed significant moderating effects in the relationship between perceived academic control and self-regulated learning. The role of academic emotions in learning and their implications for facilitating students' self-regulated learning in online learning were discussed based on the findings.     

Mobile‐Based micro‐Learning and Assessment: Impact on learning performance and motivation of high school students

Mobile‐based micro‐learning has gained a lot of attention lately, especially for work‐based and corporate training. It combines features of mobile learning and micro‐learning to deliver small learning units and short‐term learning activities. The current study uses the lens of the Self‐Determination Theory of motivation and proposes a series of Mobile‐Based micro‐Learning and Assessment (MBmLA) homework activities to improve high school students' motivation and learning performance in science. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. One hundred and eight students of a senior‐level high school in Europe were randomly assigned into either a control condition (conventional paper‐based homework approach) or an experimental (MBmLA approach) condition. The study carried out for a period of 5 weeks. From the experimental results, it was found that, in comparison to the conventional paper‐based approach, the proposed MBmLA approach enhanced students' basic psychological needs of self‐perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness and improved students' exam performance in terms of factual knowledge. Moreover, students self‐reported greater learning satisfaction with the mobile‐based microassessment and micro‐learning homework tasks. Implications on educational practices as well as future research are discussed.     

Learning presence as a moderator in the community of inquiry model

This study of over 2000 US college students examines the Community of Inquiry framework (CoI) in its capacity to describe and explain differences in learning outcomes in hybrid and fully online learning environments. We hypothesize that the CoI model's theoretical constructs of presence reflect educational effectiveness in a variety of environments, and that online learner self-regulation, a construct that we label “learning presence” moderates relationships of the other components within the CoI model. Consistent with previous research (e.g., Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, & Jones, 2009; Shea & Bidjerano, 2011) we found evidence that students in online and blended courses rank the modalities differently with regard to quality of teaching, social, and cognitive presence. Differences in help seeking behavior, an important component of self-regulated learning, were found as well. In addition, results suggest teaching presence and social presence have a differential effect on cognitive presence, depending upon learner's online self-regulatory cognitions and behaviors, i.e. their learning presence. These results also suggest a compensation effect in which greater self-regulation is required to attain cognitive presence in the absence of sufficient teaching and social presence. Recommendations for future research and practice are included.     

A multilevel analysis of the effects of external rewards on elementary students' motivation,engagement and learning in an educational game

This study investigated the effects of external rewards on fifth graders' motivation, engagement and learning while playing an educational game. We were interested in exploring whether the feedback-rich environment of the game could mitigate the predicted negative effects of external rewards. Data of students' engagement and learning were collected and analyzed at multiple levels. A quasi-experimental design was used to examine the effect of external rewards in one group (n = 50) compared to a control group without such rewards (n = 56). According to the results, the external rewards did not undermine students' motivation (e.g., at proximal and distal levels), however they did not foster disciplinary engagement. On the other hand, students in the reward condition showed significantly larger gains in conceptual understanding (proximal) and non-significantly larger gains in achievement (distal). These results suggest that the predicted negative consequences of external rewards may be addressed in this new generation of learning environments. Future research and contributions of the study are provided.     

Shallow strategy development in a teachable agent environment designed to support self-regulated learning

To support self-regulated learning (SRL), computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) are often designed to be open-ended and multidimensional. These systems incorporate diverse features that allow students to enact and reveal their SRL strategies via the choices they make. However, research shows that students' use of such features is limited; students often neglect SRL-supportive tools in CBLEs. In this study, we examined middle school students' feature use and strategy development over time using a teachable agent system called Betty's Brain. Students learned about climate change and thermoregulation in two units spanning several weeks. Learning was assessed using a pretest–posttest design, and students' interactions with the system were logged. Results indicated that use of SRL-supportive tools was positively correlated with learning outcomes. However, promising strategy patterns weakened over time due to shallow strategy development, which also negatively impacted the efficacy of the system. Although students seemed to acquire one beneficial strategy, they did so at the cost of other beneficial strategies. Understanding this phenomenon may be a key avenue for future research on SRL-supportive CBLEs. We consider two hypotheses for explaining and perhaps reducing shallow strategy development: a student-centered hypothesis related to “gaming the system,” and a design-centered hypothesis regarding how students are scaffolded via the system.     

The effect of learning analytics-based interventions in mobile learning on students' academic achievements,self-regulated learning skills,and motivations

Universal Access in the Information Society - This study examines the effects of using learning analytics (LA) in a mobile-based learning setting on students' self-regulated learning (SRL)...     

Multimedia recipe reading: Predicting learning outcomes and diagnosing cooking interest using eye-tracking measures

This study aimed to explore the relationships between students' visual behaviors and learning outcomes, and between visual behaviors and prior cooking interest in multimedia recipe learning. An eye-tracking experiment, including pretest, recall test, and retention test, was conducted with a sample of 29 volunteer hospitality majors in Taiwan. The multimedia recipe included a static page showing the ingredients in a text-and-picture representation and a dynamic page showing the knife skills in a text-and-video representation. Total reading time, total fixation duration, number of fixations and inter-scanning count were used to explore the students' visual attention distributions among the different representation elements and their visual strategies for learning the recipe. The results showed that all students paid more visual attention to the text than to the picture information for the static recipe, and paid more visual attention to the video than to the text on the dynamic page. In addition, the visual attention paid to the text on the dynamic page was negatively correlated with the retention of the episodic knowledge of knife skills. In contrast, the visual attention paid to the text on the static ingredient page was positively correlated with students' prior cooking interest. Finally, the inter-scanning count between text and video on the dynamic page was the best index to negatively predict students' learning retention. Total fixation duration on the text information on the static page was the best index to positively predict students' prior cooking interest. Future studies and applications are discussed.     

LFKT:学习与遗忘融合的深度知识追踪模型

知识追踪任务旨在根据学生历史学习行为实时追踪学生知识水平变化,并且预测学生在未来学习表现.在学生学习过程中,学习行为与遗忘行为相互交织,学生的遗忘行为对知识追踪影响很大.为了准确建模知识追踪中学习与遗忘行为,本文提出了一个兼顾学习与遗忘行为的深度知识追踪模型LFKT.LFKT模型综合考虑了四个影响知识遗忘因素,包括学生重复学习知识点的间隔时间、重复学习知识点的次数、顺序学习间隔时间以及学生对于知识点的掌握程度.结合遗忘因素,LFKT采用深度神经网络,利用学生答题结果作为知识追踪过程中知识掌握程度的间接反馈,建模融合学习与遗忘行为的知识追踪模型.通过在真实在线教育数据集上的实验,与当前知识追踪模型相比,LFKT可以更好地追踪学生知识掌握状态,并具有较好的预测性能.     

Analysing the role of a pedagogical agent in psychological and cognitive preparatory activities

There is a lack of studies that examine the role of a pedagogical agent on student development in a specific learning situation that involves psychological and cognitive preparatory activities in high school settings. We examined the effectiveness of pedagogical agent (APT) cognitive and affective feedback on learner motivation and well-being. We applied an experimental research design, involving 45 fourth-year high school students, divided in experimental and control groups (APT vs. human tutor). We performed a quantitative analysis to collect and analyse data of students using our APT. APT cognitive feedback had a positive effect on students' motivation for learning by encouraging students' proposals and initiatives and arousing students' interest in the topic. In addition, APT affective feedback fostered an appropriate emotional climate and creative environment for learning by enhancing students' curiosity, creativity and confidence for carrying out the activity, while reducing students' negative emotions such as boredom and anger. This study provided us useful insights about the affective (and cognitive) competencies that a virtual affective pedagogical agent needs to have in order to support students' mental and emotional health throughout a learning situation. Yet, further research is needed to consolidate these findings and make APT more adaptive to different learning situations.     

Iterative augmentation of a medical training simulator: Effects of affective metacognitive scaffolding

Experiential training simulators are gaining increasing popularity for job-related training due to their potential to engage and motivate adult learners. They are designed to provide learning experiences that are directly connected to users' work environments and support self-regulated learning. Nevertheless, learners often fail to transfer the knowledge gained in the simulated environment to real-world contexts. The EU-funded ImREAL project aimed to bridge that gap by developing a suite of intelligent services designed to enhance existing training simulators. This paper presents work that was a subset of this research project, reporting the iterative development and evaluation of a scaffolding service, which was integrated into a simulator for training medical students to perform diagnostic interviews. The study comprises three evaluation phases, comparing the pure simulator to a first version with metacognitive scaffolding and then to a final version with affective metacognitive scaffolding and enriched user modelling. The scaffolding service provides the learner with metacognitive prompts; affective elements are realized by an integrated affect reporting tool and affective prompts. Using a mixed-method approach by analysing questionnaires (N = 106) and log-data (N = 426), the effects of the services were investigated with respect to real-world relevance, self-regulated learning support, learning experience, and integration. Despite some limitations, the outcomes of this study demonstrate the usefulness of affective metacognitive scaffolding in the context of experiential training simulators; significant post-simulation increases in perceived relevance of the simulator, reflective note-taking, overall motivation, and feeling of success could be identified. Perceived usability and flow of the simulation increased, whereas overall workload and frustration decreased. However, low response rates to specific functions of the simulation point to a need to further investigate how to raise users' awareness and understanding of the provided tools, to encourage interaction with the services, and to better convey the benefits of using them. Thus, future challenges concern not so much technological developments for personalizing learning experiences, but rather new ways to change user attitudes towards an open approach to learning systems that enables them to benefit from all offered features.     

When educational agents meet surrogate competition: Impacts of competitive educational agents on students' motivation and performance

The design of educational agents increasingly attracts researchers' attention recently. One of major reasons is that educational agents could enhance student learning in various aspects. Although research in this area has mushroomed, such research mainly emphasizes on students in higher education. It is still unclear how educational agents influence young student learning. In addition, competition is a significant element, but fewer studies take competition into account while designing educational agents. Although some studies have indicated that educational agents in competitive environments has positive effects on students' perception and attribution, its impacts on students' motivation and performance are unclear. Thus, the study develops an integrative agent that combines educational and competitive elements for young students, and further examines its influences, in terms of motivation and learning performance. The results revealed that such competitive educational agents could enhance students' motivation and learning performance.