Acquisition Of Conceptual Knowledge Research Articles

Using Manipulative-Based Instructional Sequences to Increase the Understanding of Fractional Concepts of Students With Mathematical Learning Disabilities

Manipulative-based instructional sequences have proven to be successful with students with disabilities. However, instruction must not only support the acquisition of conceptual and procedural knowledge but also build on students’ strengths. This article describes how teachers can use manipulative-based instructional sequences to support the fractional understanding of students who are diagnosed with mathematical learning disabilities. We begin by describing common misconceptions that may affect students’ abilities to reason with and calculate fractions. We then explain how teachers can use a concrete-semi-concrete representational-abstract (CRA) model to plan and implement lessons that maximize learning and minimize frustration. Readers are also provided with detailed descriptions of how teachers can assess fraction knowledge, reinforce conceptual understanding, and promote procedural fluency.

A comparison of rapid cycle deliberate practice and traditional reflective debriefing on interprofessional team performance

BackgroundIn simulation-based education, debriefing is necessary to promote knowledge acquisition and skill application. Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) and Traditional Reflective Debriefing (TRD) are based in learning theories of deliberate practice and reflective learning, respectively. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of TRD versus RCDP on acquisition of conceptual knowledge and teamwork skills among interdisciplinary learners in the pediatric emergency department.MethodsOne hundred sixty-four learners including emergency department attending physicians, fellows, nurses, medical technicians, paramedics, and respiratory therapists, participated in 28 in-situ simulation workshops over 2 months. Groups were quasi-randomized to receive RCDP or TRD debriefing. Learners completed a multiple-choice test to assess teamwork knowledge. The TEAM Assessment Tool assessed team performance before and after debriefing. Primary outcomes were teamwork knowledge and team performance.ResultsAverage pre-intervention baseline knowledge assessment scores were high in both groups (TRD mean 90.5 (SD 12.7), RCDP mean 88.7 (SD 15.5). Post-test scores showed small improvements in both groups (TRD mean 93.2 (SD 12.2), RCDP mean 89.9 (SD 13.8), as indicated by effect sizes (ES = 0.21 and 0.09, for TRD and RCDP, respectively). Assessment of team performance demonstrated a significant improvement in mean scores from pre-assessment to post-assessment for all TEAM Assessment skills in both TRD and RCDP arms, based on p-values (all p < 0.01) and effect sizes (all ES > 0.8). While pre-post improvements in TEAM scores were generally higher in the RCDP group based on effect sizes, analysis did not indicate either debriefing approach as meaningfully improved over the other.ConclusionsOur study did not demonstrate that either TRD versus RCDP was meaningfully better in teamwork knowledge acquisition or improving skill application and performance. As such, we propose Reflective Deliberate Practice as a framework for future study to allow learners to reflect on learning and practice in action.

Coherent category training enhances generalization in prototype-based categories.

A major question for the study of learning and memory is how to tailor learning experiences to promote knowledge that generalizes to new situations. In two experiments, we used category learning as a representative domain to test two factors thought to influence the acquisition of conceptual knowledge: the number of training examples (set size) and the similarity of training examples to the category average (set coherence). Across participants, size and coherence of category training sets were varied in a fully crossed design. After training, participants demonstrated the breadth of their category knowledge by categorizing novel examples varying in their distance from the category center. Results showed better generalization following more coherent training sets, even when categorizing items furthest from the category center. Training set size had limited effects on performance. We also tested the types of representations underlying categorization decisions by fitting formal prototype and exemplar models. Prototype models posit abstract category representations based on the category's central tendency, whereas exemplar models posit that categories are represented by individual category members. In Experiment 1, low coherence training led to fewer participants relying on prototype representations, except when training length was extended. In Experiment 2, low coherence training led to chance performance and no clear representational strategy for nearly half of the participants. The results indicate that highlighting commonalities among exemplars during training facilitates learning and generalization and may also affect the types of concept representations that individuals form. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Student Academic Success in Linear Algebra in an Open Distance Learning Environment

Academic success in first year university mathematics in been problematic for decades and mathematics educators keep looking for the causes. What has been universally agreed, is that the theoretical and abstract nature of mathematics plays a role. A module on Linear Algebra at an Open Distance eLearning (ODeL) institution, was identified for investigation due to very high dropout and failure rates. This article concentrates on identifying the types of knowledge (e.g., procedural, conceptual, strategic, schematic and declarative) necessary for academic success in the subject. Using the literature, a conceptual framework is developed to classify students’ answers into the various types of knowledge. The research question asks what types of knowledge contributes to academic success in Linear Algebra. Script analysis is used to answer the research question. The results showed that lack of the necessary declarative knowledge which forms the basis for the other forms of knowledge as well as procedural knowledge were the main causes of the resulting misconceptions and errors. It was established that students were more engaged in surface learning rather than deep learning that results in conceptual understanding and acquisition of conceptual knowledge.

The Impact of Virtual Museum on Learning Achievement: A Meta-Synthesis Study

This meta-synthesis study aims to explore the impact of virtual museum on learning achievement. With the advancements in technology, virtual museum and augmented reality museum applications have gained popularity in the field of education and museum studies. However, there is a need to examine their effectiveness in enhancing learning outcomes. This research reviews examines 17 studies to evaluate their effects on learning achievement. The findings reveal that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are frequently used in science, art, and history museums to support the acquisition of conceptual knowledge. These technologies are commonly employed for purposes such as integrating additional materials with physical exhibits, animating complex events or concepts, and simulating virtual exhibitions and story scenarios. However, the study also highlights some challenges and limitations of these applications. Technical issues, such as hardware requirements and connectivity problems, can hinder the effectiveness of the learning experience. Additionally, the availability of high-quality content and the need for instructional guidance are important factors to consider for successful implementation. Overall, this meta-synthesis study suggests that virtual museum and augmented reality museum applications have a positive influence on learning achievement. It emphasizes the potential of these technologies in enhancing the educational experience and recommends further research in this area to explore their long-term effects and address the identified challenges.

A successful intervention to improve conceptual knowledge of medical students who rely on memorization of disclosed items.

Background: The mere memorization of isolated facts without the claim of integrating them is detrimental to the desired learning outcomes in medical education. The current study was conducted within an environment where items from summative assessments are regularly disclosed by the university and consequently collected into an item bank that is shared between students. Within this environment, we aimed to quantify 1) to which extent students use disclosed items for their preparation for the summative exam, 2) a putative mismatch between (isolated factual) knowledge regarding distinct questions from the item bank and conceptual knowledge, and 3) to which extent this mismatch can be ameliorated by a project aiming to steer student learning away from the memorization of isolated facts toward the acquisition of conceptual knowledge. Methods: This steering project in the midst of the first semester consisted of the implementation of an oral exam based on selected learning objectives, preceded by two seminars. After their summative exam at the end of semester, 135 students performed a voluntary exam for study purposes. Here, authentic (i.e., presumably preknown) physiology questions taken from the item bank were used to assess students' ability to 1) recognize the correct answer in a multiple choice (MC) question, 2) recall the answer (short answer), or 3) display conceptual knowledge closely corresponding to the question presented in the other formats. Additionally, students received a questionnaire addressing their learning habits and attitudes. Results: The median reported percentage of learning time for the summative exam exclusively spent with this item bank was 80%. The results of the voluntary exam indicate that students frequently recognize and recall correct answers of included items without displaying knowledge of the underlying concept. Compared to recall of the correct answer, the probability of giving a correct answer regarding the corresponding basal physiologic concept was lower by 47 percentage points (p <0.001) for topics not included in the steering project. Regarding topics included in the steering project, this discrepancy was reduced to 25.5% (p <0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the influence of disclosed items on student learning and learning outcomes and suggest that a carefully implemented assessment is able to improve conceptual knowledge in physiology.

The relation of representational competence and conceptual knowledge in female and male undergraduates

BackgroundRepresentational competence is commonly considered a prerequisite for the acquisition of conceptual knowledge, yet little exploration has been undertaken into the relation between these two constructs. Using an assessment instrument of representational competence with vector fields that functions without confounding topical context, we examined its relation with N = 515 undergraduates’ conceptual knowledge about electromagnetism.ResultsApplying latent variable modeling, we found that students’ representational competence and conceptual knowledge are related yet clearly distinguishable constructs (manifest correlation: r = .54; latent correlation: r = .71). The relation was weaker for female than for male students, which could not be explained by measurement differences between the two groups. There were several students with high representational competence and low conceptual knowledge, but only few students with low representational competence and high conceptual knowledge.ConclusionsThese results support the assumption that representational competence is a prerequisite, yet insufficient condition for the acquisition of conceptual knowledge. We provide suggestions for supporting learners in building representational competence, and particularly female learners in utilizing their representational competence to build conceptual knowledge.

Student teachers’ conceptual knowledge of operant conditioning: How can case comparison support knowledge acquisition?

Teachers need knowledge about operant conditioning as an important way to prevent student misbehavior. In an experiment with 181 student teachers, we investigated how the acquisition of conceptual knowledge about operant conditioning can be promoted through case comparisons. Our results showed that case comparison effectively supported the acquisition of knowledge about operant conditioning. Knowledge acquisition was higher with more guidance during case comparison by providing key features to be used to compare the cases. Furthermore, with more guidance student teachers learned more efficiently. In addition, higher germane load and lower extraneous load were found to mediate the effect of instructional guidance on learning. The case comparison was also associated with a shift in student teachers’ beliefs, with more appropriate beliefs about operant conditioning afterwards. Thus, the results indicate that case comparison is an effective approach to promoting the acquisition of conceptual knowledge and positive beliefs about operant conditioning.

Unraveling the relation between representational competence and conceptual knowledge across four samples from two different countries

IntroductionWhereas it is commonly assumed that in learning science, representational competence is a critical prerequisite for the acquisition of conceptual knowledge, comprehensive psychometric investigations of this assumption are rare. We undertake a step in this direction by re-analyzing the data from a recent study that found a substantial correlation between the two constructs in undergraduates in the context of field representations and electromagnetism.MethodsWe re-analyze the data (N = 515 undergraduate students; Mage = 21.81, SDage = 4.04) to examine whether the relation between representational competence and conceptual knowledge, both measured with psychometrically validated test instruments, is similar or varies between four samples from two countries. To this end, we will employ correlational analysis and scatter plots. Employing these methods, we will examine whether a positive relation between representational competence and conceptual knowledge can be found and is of similar magnitude in all samples. We will also employ multiple-group latent profile analysis to examine how the more detailed association between the two constructs varies or is similar across samples. Finally, we will examine how commonalities and differences between samples relate to aspects of learners’ gender, topic-specific learning opportunities, and individual preferences for specific learning content. The aim is to unravel the generalizability of this relation and thereby derive hypotheses for potential moderating factors that can be further examined in future research.

Learning from physical and virtual investigation: A meta-analysis of conceptual knowledge acquisition

Should students investigate with tangible objects and apparatus or are digitally simulated materials and equipment an adequate or perhaps even preferred alternative? This question remains unanswered because empirical evidence is inconclusive and previous reviews are descriptive and synthesize a limited number of studies with small samples. This meta-analysis, therefore, assessed the relative effectiveness of physical versus virtual investigation in terms of conceptual knowledge acquisition and examined whether and how the aggregate effect size was moderated by substantive and methodological study features. Following a systematic search of Web of Science and ERIC for the period 2000–2021, 35 studies comparing physical and virtual investigations were selected for inclusion. Hedges’geffect sizes for conceptual knowledge acquisition were computed and analyzed using a random effects model. The results showed no overall advantage of either mode of investigation (g = −0.14, 95% CI [−0.33, 0.06]). However, moderator analysis indicated that virtual investigation is more effective for adults compared with adolescents and children, and when touching objects or equipment does not provide relevant sensory information about the concept under study. These results imply that STEM teachers can decide for themselves whether to opt for physical or virtual investigation except when teaching adult students or when touch sensory feedback is substantively irrelevant; in those cases, virtual investigation is preferable.

In Their Own Words: Student Perceptions of Technical Poetry Writing in Discipline-Specific Undergraduate Engineering Courses: Opportunities and Challenges

Although some studies have incorporated poetry into engineering courses, no studies exist that explore the use of writing poetry about technical topics to develop creative thinking skills in undergraduate engineering education. This study explores engineering students’ perceptions of incorporating poetry writing within an upper-level discipline-specific engineering course. Two research questions are considered: (RQ1) Do students think that the poetry assignments will be beneficial to their careers? (RQ2) What beneficial gain, if any, do students report from the poetry assignments? Sixty-one students from an industrial and systems engineering course at the University of Florida completed a four-question, open-ended survey. Data were qualitatively coded and analyzed. For RQ1, 63.3% of participants considered the assignment beneficial to their future engineering careers, 13.3% did not see it as beneficial, and 23.3% were uncertain. For RQ2, 11 code categories and four themes emerged; three themes addressed benefits related to professional skills (creative thinking, problem-solving, communication) and one theme suggested the enhancement of technical skills via deepened conceptual knowledge acquisition. Poetry writing on technical topics has the potential to cultivate creative thinking skills in upper-level discipline-specific courses in undergraduate engineering education. Additional research is warranted. Funding: This work was supported by the University of Florida Creative Campus Program as well as The Cottmeyer Family Innovative Frontiers Faculty Fellowship awarded to E. Akçalı. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2023.0284 .

Do students learn more from failing alone or in groups? Insights into the effects of collaborative versus individual problem solving in productive failure

Productive Failure (PF) is an instructional design that implements a problem-solving phase which aims at preparing students for learning from a subsequent instruction. PF has been shown to facilitate students’ conceptual knowledge acquisition in the mathematical domain. Collaboration has been described as a vital design component of PF, but studies that have investigated the role of collaboration in PF empirically so far, were not able to confirm the necessity of collaboration in PF. However, these studies have diverged significantly from prior traditional PF studies and design criteria. Therefore, the role of collaboration in PF remains unclear. In an experimental study that is based on the traditional design of PF, we compared a collaborative and an individual problem-solving setting. It was hypothesized that collaboration facilitates the beneficial preparatory mechanisms of the PF problem-solving phase: prior knowledge activation, awareness of knowledge gaps, and recognition of deep features. In a mediation analysis, the effects of collaborative and individual problem solving on conceptual knowledge acquisition as mediated through the preparatory mechanisms were tested. In contrast to the hypotheses, no mediations or differences between conditions were found. Thus, collaboration does not hold a major preparatory function in itself for the design of PF.

Extended reality in language learning: A cognitive affective model of immersive learning perspective.

A surge in the interest and implementation of extended reality (XR)-based lessons in language learning has resulted in many related studies. Recent reviews that summarized these studies and the previous studies focus on the technologies used in language-learning settings or the different ways of incorporating XR tools in language-learning activities. However, less work has been done to synthesize XR-based language-learning studies from a language-learning theory perspective. Thus, this study delineates the contour of scholarly literature on XR in language learning using the Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL). The model contains six affective and cognitive factors that lead to XR-based learning: interest, motivation, self-efficacy, embodiment, cognitive load, and self-regulation. This model was adopted in the current study to systematically synthesize the findings from primary studies published between 2017 and 2022 to construct XR explanations on language learning from a cognitive theory perspective. Studies published in 12 indexed privileged journals in the language education and technology field on XR in language learning were reviewed. The results showed that the factors in the CAMIL led to factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge acquisition and transfer. This study provides some insights into understanding the cognitive outcomes of XR-based language learning by analyzing the findings from previous studies. Suggestions for future studies are proposed in this study.

Clinical reasoning pattern used in oral health problem solving – A case study in Indonesian undergraduate dental students

BackgroundHealth professionals are known to use various combinations of knowledge and skills, such as critical thinking, clinical reasoning, clinical judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making, in conducting clinical practice. Clinical reasoning development is influenced by knowledge and experience, the more knowledge and experience, the more sophisticated clinical reasoning will be. However, clinical reasoning research in dentistry shows varying results .AimsThis study aims to observe the clinical reasoning pattern of undergraduate dental students when solving oral health problems, and their accordance with their knowledge acquisition.Material and methodsThis qualitative study employed the think-aloud method and the result was assessed through verbal protocol analyses. Five respondents from final year dental undergraduate students were agreed to participate. A unique hypothetical clinical scenario was used as a trigger. The audio data were transcribed, interpreted, and categorized as a clinical reasoning pattern; and the concept maps created were assessed by a Structure of Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy as knowledge acquisition.ResultsObservations on clinical reasoning patterns and the level of knowledge acquisition in five undergraduate dental students showed varying results. They applied clinical reasoning patterns according to their knowledge acquisition during didactical phase. Learners with inadequate knowledge relied on guessing, meanwhile learners with adequate knowledge applied more sophisticated reasoning pattern when solving problems.ConclusionsVarious problem-solving strategies were encountered in this study, which corresponded to the level of knowledge acquisition. Dental institutions must set minimum standards regarding the acquisition of conceptual knowledge accompanied by improvement of clinical reasoning skills, as well as refinement of knowledge and procedural skills.

How can signaling in authentic classroom videos support reasoning on how to induce learning strategies?

Classroom videos are a viable means to implement evidence-informed reasoning in teacher education in order to establish an evidence-informed teaching practice. Although learning with videos relieves pre-service teachers from acting in parallel and might reduce complexity, the material still poses higher cognitive load than written text vignettes or other traditionally used static material. In particular, the information they deliver is transient and can, therefore, easily be missed. Signaling can guide learners’ attention to central aspects of a video, thereby reducing cognitive load and enhancing learning outcomes. In the current project, pre-service teachers acquired scientific knowledge about learning strategies and their promotion in a computer-based learning environment. We explored the effect of different arrangements of signaling in classroom video-examples on conceptual knowledge and the reasoning-component of professional vision. Therefore, we conducted a set of two studies with 100 student teachers including two signal arrangements in order to investigate how signaling can help learning to reason about classroom videos. In addition, we varied if participants received information on the use of signals in advance (informed) or not (uninformed). We measured conceptual knowledge by asking participants what they knew about self-regulation strategies. Additionally, we assessed reasoning by asking participants to notice sequences in a video where teachers induced learning strategies, and to reason in what respect the observed behavior was useful to induce the strategy. Uninformed signaling did not affect the acquisition of conceptual knowledge and reasoning. Informed signaling led to significantly better conceptual knowledge than uninformed signaling. It is argued that the signal-induced extraneous load exceeded the load reduction due to the signal’s selection advantage in the uninformed conditions. In a third, exploratory study, nine participants were interviewed on the perception of different signals and indicated that spotlight and zoom-in signals foster processing of classroom videos.

The Effects of Audio Narration and Feedback used in a Video Game Environment for the Acquisition of Conceptual Knowledge

The Effects of Audio Narration and Feedback used in a Video Game Environment for the Acquisition of Conceptual Knowledge

Determination and Processing of Properties Existence Constraints in Ontological Data Analysis

The research area is an extended methodology for the derivation of formal concepts from, as a rule, incomplete and inconsistent empirical data, which are the results of observations and multidimensional measurements in an unexplored, unstructured subject domain. This methodology, called "ontological data analysis", synthesizes two successful approaches to the acquisition of conceptual knowledge: analysis of formal concepts and analysis of the properties existence constraints of subject domain. Herewith, the subject of ontological analysis is given the opportunity to perform a new cognitive act of processing empirical data normalization of the formal context at the task of deriving formal concepts, which means matching a posteriori information about the studied subject domain with a priori representations about it, expressed by the so-called "existence constraints" of the measured properties. The article substantiates the possibility and advisability of transforming the "natural" specification of the existence constraints in the form of a set of measured properties with specified existential relations on it into a set of intersecting subsets of measured properties, which are homogeneous in the form of existential conjugation of member-properties. Algorithms for identifying such subsets in the system of measured properties are presented. A basic algorithm for processing a new representation of properties existence constraints is proposed; it is designed to simplify and accelerate the normalization of the formal context. The significance of the obtained results lies in the algorithmic support of a number of stages of ontological data analysis.

Productive versus vicarious failure: Do students need to fail themselves in order to learn?

AbstractProductive Failure is an instructional approach in which students engage in problem‐solving attempts prior to instruction. The Productive Failure approach has been found to be more supportive for conceptual knowledge acquisition during subsequent instruction compared to a direct‐instruction condition in which students receive instruction first followed by problem solving. Failing at problem‐solving attempts prior to instruction is considered to prepare students to better understand the concepts underlying the problem. However, it is an open question whether students need to fail themselves to be effectively prepared for subsequent instruction. We therefore compared the effectiveness of two alternative preparatory activities: Students either engaged in problem‐solving attempts themselves or were shown problem‐solving attempts of another student. This experimental variation allows to show the necessity of own failure for the effectiveness of the PF approach. The results indicated that the two conditions were equally effective at preparing students for subsequent instruction.

USING THE GO-LAB PLATFORM TO ORGANIZE INQUIRY-BASED PHYSICS LEARNING

The article reveals the essence and analyzes the features of the use of inquiry-based technology in the training of future teachers of natural sciences. The comparative characteristics of traditional technology and inquiry-based technology are given. The possibilities of the Go-Lab ecosystem for the formation of research thinking of future teachers of natural sciences are analyzed. The methodology, structure and content of all stages of inquiry-based learning based on the Go-Lab platform are presented. The component of the Go-Lab ecosystem is the Graasp environment for the creation and use of Inquiry Learning Spaces (ILS). This student-centered model also allows students to move at their own pace of learning and feel successful. The implementation of the proposed approach is demonstrated by the example of the development of Inquiry Learning Spaces in general physics “Movement of a body thrown at an angle to the horizon”. This ILS will help students to determine the dependence of flight range/altitude/flight time on the initial parameters (throwing angle/initial speed), etc. A model of the Go-Lab research cycle with five main stages is described. The possibilities of organizing collaboration for teachers and students with the help of digital services and applications Go-Lab are presented. Students’ collaboration is carried out through communication to exchange ideas, share responsibility for the result, joint research and reporting, and facilitate their preparation for professional selection and professional team’s work. In this way, Go-Lab enables inquiry-based learning that promotes the acquisition of deep conceptual domain knowledge and inquiry skills. Prospects for further research are associated with the formation of digital competence of future teachers of natural sciences, in particular with the development of research spaces (ILS) in the Graasp environment. This task can be realized during the students' educational (subject) practice on the basis of the university.&#x0D; Keywords: inquiry-based learning; innovative learning technologies; Go-Lab; Graasp; Inquiry Learning Space (ILS); general physics; competencies; science teacher.

Augmented Reality for Presenting Real-Time Data During Students' Laboratory Work: Comparing a Head-Mounted Display With a Separate Display.

Multimedia learning theories suggest presenting associated pieces of information in spatial and temporal contiguity. New technologies like Augmented Reality allow for realizing these principles in science laboratory courses by presenting virtual real-time information during hands-on experimentation. Spatial integration can be achieved by pinning virtual representations of measurement data to corresponding real components. In the present study, an Augmented Reality-based presentation format was realized via a head-mounted display and contrasted to a separate display, which provided a well-arranged data matrix in spatial distance to the real components and was therefore expected to result in a spatial split-attention effect. Two groups of engineering students (N = 107; Augmented Reality vs. separate display) performed six experiments exploring fundamental laws of electric circuits. Cognitive load and conceptual knowledge acquisition were assessed as main outcome variables. In contrast to our hypotheses and previous findings, the Augmented Reality group did not report lower extraneous load and the separate display group showed higher learning gains. The pre- and posttest assessing conceptual knowledge were monitored by eye tracking. Results indicate that the condition affected the visual relevancy of circuit diagrams to final problem completion. The unexpected reverse effects could be traced back to emphasizing coherence formation processes regarding multiple measurements.