Abstract
Invention activities can promote reflective learning processes. However, their inclusion in educational practice can generate doubts because they take up time that can otherwise be invested in explaining content, and because some students might experience frustration and anxiety while trying to solve them. This study experimentally evaluated the efficacy of invention activities in a university statistics class, considering both emotions (self-reported) and learning achieved. In total, 43 students were randomly assigned to either (a) inventing variability measures before receiving instruction about the topic of statistical variability, or (b) completing a similar problem-solving activity, but only after they had received guidance with a worked example concerning the target concepts. Students in the first condition acquired greater conceptual knowledge, which is an indicator of deep learning. The emotions experienced during the learning activities were similar in both learning conditions. However, it was notable that enjoyment during the invention phase of the invention condition was strongly associated with higher achievement. Invention activities are a promising educational strategy that require students to play an active role, and can promote deep learning. This study also provides implementation guidelines for teachers while discussing the possibilities offered by new technologies.
Highlights
It is important that students acquire a deep understanding of the concepts they study, and that they are able to transfer these concepts to novel situations
Several studies have shown the efficacy of this method in promoting conceptual knowledge, which refers to a deep understanding of the contents learned, and transfer, which refers to the ability to apply the contents learned in new contexts [3,4,5,6]
This study evaluated whether the introduction of invention activities into a university statistics class was an effective method for enhancing learning, and explored how this might be influenced by the emotional reactions of students
Summary
It is important that students acquire a deep understanding of the concepts they study, and that they are able to transfer these concepts to novel situations. Several studies have shown the efficacy of this method in promoting conceptual knowledge, which refers to a deep understanding of the contents learned, and transfer, which refers to the ability to apply the contents learned in new contexts [3,4,5,6]. These types of interventions can generate concern because they might interfere with the time available for the delivery of lesson content, or because some students might not have the cognitive or emotional capabilities to benefit from such a challenging experience [6,7]. The objective of this study is to contribute to exploring the efficacy of this approach through a controlled experiment conducted in a university statistics class, while considering both the knowledge acquired by students and their emotional responses
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