Computer-based Learning Environments Research Articles

Enjoyment and frustration during tablet computer-based lessons in the field of economics

With regard to the field of vocational education and training, there is little evidence of how computer-based learning environments are perceived differently by learners. This study analyzed the affective experience of secondary school students in the German state Baden-Wurttemberg (N = 103) participating in a series of tablet computer-based lessons for self-regulated learning purposes. A continuous-state-sampling-instrument periodically tracked the emotional states of the participants. Right before the lessons, a preparatory training should promote the participants computer and information literacy. However, the training had no positive effect on the emotional experience. The results showed, among others, that the tablet computer-based lessons were experienced significantly more positive by male learners what can be partially explained by a more intensive use of computers and a more positive attitude towards the use of computers in favor of male learners. Moreover, the findings indicate an overall declining development of desirable emotional states (positive activation as well as valence) when using tablet computers for self-regulated learning. The study provides essential insights into the qualitative development of students’ experience during phases of computer use when personal variables are taken into consideration. It also presents indications on how to design learning environments using tablet computers.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC DIDACTIC PRINCIPLES IN COMPUTER-ORIENTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The article deals with the specific principles and specific features of perception of information in computer-oriented learning environment and peculiarities of the information assimilation, depending on the form of educational material presentation. We describe the psychological and physiological aspects of perception in the visualization of its submission. And as pointed out, process of perception of the information in computer-oriented learning environment is faster and easier. There is also outlined author's definition of the concept of computer-based learning environment, the system, which is an open education environment of the modern university. DOI: https://doi.org/10.28925/2414-0325.2017.3.6974

Design of a computer-based learning environment to support diagnostic problem solving towards expertise development

Learning through problem solving is a pedagogical approach that situates learning in problem-solving contexts. As a form of constructivist learning, problem solving has received increased attention in complex and ill-structured domains such as scientific inquiry and medical education. However, effective learning in problem-solving contexts is difficult to realize because problem-solving tasks often involve complex processes that are inaccessible to learners. It is important to make such complex processes visible for observation and practice, and provide learners with necessary help during the learning process. This study explored the design of a computer-based learning environment that helps medical students to externalize the sophisticated process of diagnostic problem-solving and provides them with adaptive feedback when they work with a number of simulated clinical cases. The proposed approach attempted to utilize expert knowledge to transform open-ended problem-solving experience into systematic and deliberate effort towards expertise development.

Examining CEGEP students’ acceptance of computer-based learning environments: A test of two models

As the use of technology in education advances and broadens, empirical research around its use assumes increased importance. Yet literature investigating technology acceptance in certain populations remains scarce. We recently argued that technology acceptance investigations should also consider the modality of the antecedent belief, to distinguish between beliefs of conditionality, and necessity, such that sometimes we are constrained to act by circumstance, and other times we act to obtain a certain outcome, which differently affects our appraisals of situations (Doleck et al. 2016). In this vein, we propose to study technology acceptance with a population that is constrained in their acceptance of certain technologies, such as university or college students’ tacit acceptance of classroom computer applications. In the present paper, we pose the question: what factors affect College d’enseignement general et professionnel (CEGEP) students’ technology acceptance, specifically, what are the antecedents to their computer-based learning environment (CBLE) use. To explore this question, we employ a structural equation modeling approach, specifically a partial least square (PLS) approach, using the technology acceptance framework. The present study applies two well-known models of acceptance, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM; Davis in MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340 1989) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT; Venkatesh et al. in MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478 2003) to investigate the acceptance of CBLEs among CEGEP students and attempts to address technology acceptance in forced-choice situations.

A Tale of Three Cases: Examining Accuracy, Efficiency, and Process Differences in Diagnosing Virtual Patient Cases

<p>Clinical reasoning is a central skill in diagnosing cases. However, diagnosing a clinical case poses several challenges that are inherent to solving multifaceted ill-structured problems. In particular, when solving such problems, the complexity stems from the existence of multiple paths to arriving at the correct solution (Anonymous, 2003). Moreover, the approach one employs in diagnosing a clinical case is in some measure dependent upon the complexity of the case. This leads us to the question: Are there differences in the manner in which novices solve cases with varying levels of complexity in a computer based learning environment? More specifically, we are interested in understanding and elucidating if there are clinical reasoning differences in regards to accuracy, efficiency, and process across three virtual patient cases of varying difficulty levels. Examining such differences may have implications from both a learner modeling and system enhancement perspective. We close by discussing the implications for practice, limitations of the study, and future research directions.</p>

Supporting technology-enhanced inquiry through metacognitive and cognitive prompts: Sequential analysis of metacognitive actions in response to mixed prompts

The aim of this study was to develop and examine supports for inquiry practices in computer-based learning environments (CBLEs). Two kinds of supports for inquiry practices were developed, namely cognitive and metacognitive prompts. We employed a multiple case study design to analyze students' metacognitive reactions to these two kinds of prompts and the fading effect on the regulation process using a sequential analysis technique. The results of this study indicate that the high level inquiry group performed not only more metacognitive actions of monitoring and evaluating, but also performed them in different sequences than the less successful students (the middle and low level inquiry groups) during the prompted inquiry tasks. The sequential analysis in this study identified the students' crucial learning patterns of successful inquiry practices in both the structured and guided inquiry stages. The findings can be used to explore the possible alignment between scaffolding and learning behaviors, and the mechanism of fading for inquiry-based learning in CBLEs.

Investigating the effects of structured and guided inquiry on students’ development of conceptual knowledge and inquiry abilities: a case study in Taiwan

ABSTRACTIn order to promote scientific inquiry in secondary schooling in Taiwan, the study developed a computer-based inquiry curriculum (including structured and guided inquiry units) and investigated how the curriculum influenced students’ science learning. The curriculum was implemented in 5 junior secondary schools in the context of a weeklong summer science course with 117 students. We first used a multi-level assessment approach to evaluate the students’ learning outcomes with the curriculum. Then, a path analysis approach was adopted for investigating at different assessment levels how the curriculum as a whole and how different types of inquiry units affected the students’ development of conceptual understandings and inquiry abilities. The results showed that the curriculum was effective in enhancing the students’ conceptual knowledge and inquiry abilities in the contexts of the six scientific topics. After the curriculum, they were able to construct interconnected scientific knowledge. The path diagrams suggested that, due to different instructional designs, the structured and guided inquiry units appeared to support the students’ learning of the topics in different ways. More importantly, they demonstrated graphically how the learning of content knowledge and inquiry ability mutually influenced one another and were reciprocally developed in a computer-based inquiry learning environment.

Ambientes Informatizados de Aprendizagem na investigação de construções geométricas: Uma experiência com professores do Oeste Catarinense

The present paper is about experiences built and lived by academic students and professors from the Math Course at UFFS Public University, located in campus of Chapeco, SC, in an extension project that enabled the engagement of public math teachers, who live in the west of Santa Catarina State, providing actions and reflections about math conceptions in elementary school teaching. These math concepts are developed in computer-based learning environments, such as: GeoGebra Software, Slogo Software, Kig Software (Linux). These actions are linked to the Mathematics Education Laboratory (MTL) at UFFS and also aim at approaching the university to the community, enabling to the teachers workshops such as “Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)”.

The link between achievement emotions, appraisals, and task performance: pedagogical considerations for emotions in CBLEs

Achievement emotions have a powerful influence on how students interact with current and future learning and performance tasks. As such, pedagogical practices that support adaptive student emotions are critical for teaching and learning in computer-based learning environments (CBLEs). This research investigates the relationship between during-task achievement emotions and participants’ appraisals of task control, value, perceived performance, and actual performance outcomes on a diagnostic reasoning task with a CBLE, BioWorld. Based on the emotions participants reported experiencing during the task, we found that participants could be organized into three groups using a k-means cluster analysis: a positive, negative, and low emotion group. Participants assigned to the positive emotion group had the highest subjective appraisals of task value, task control, and the highest perceived performance; however, these participants had lower levels of actual performance when compared to learners assigned to the low emotion cluster and had actual performance levels comparable to learners in the negative emotion cluster. These results provide preliminary evidence for fostering low emotionality rather than positive emotionality with pedagogical interventions in order to support better performance outcomes, while learners engage in academic achievement tasks in CBLEs.

Factors affecting learning of vector math from computer-based practice: Feedback complexity and prior knowledge

In a computer-based learning environment providing a brief general explanation of the correct solution process leads to stronger learning gains than telling students about the correctness of their answer.

Benefits of adding anxiety-reducing features to a computer-based multimedia lesson on statistics

The present study examined the effectiveness of techniques intended to reduce anxiety as students learn mathematical content from a computer-based lesson. In a between-subjects experiment, students learned statistical rules through worked examples in a computer-based learning environment that either did (treatment group) or did not (control group) include anxiety reducing features—a coping message delivered through the lesson by an online pedagogical agent concerning how to manage feelings of anxiety, and prompts for expressive writing, in which students summarize their thoughts and feelings. An independent samples t-test showed that the treatment group, which received added anxiety-reducing features, showed higher accuracy than the control group on solving practice problems (d = 0.71) and retention problems (d = 0.63) and reported higher perceived effort on learning the multimedia lesson (d = 0.66). In addition, a standard multiple linear regression found that anxiety, self-efficacy, and cognitive load as a set predicted performance (R2 = 0.56), with self-efficacy as the strongest predictor (β = 0.63). Adding anxiety-reducing features to an online lesson may encourage greater effort, which leads to better learning outcomes.

Embellishing Problem-Solving Examples with Deep Structure Information Facilitates Transfer

ABSTRACTAppreciation of problem structure is critical to successful learning. Two experiments investigated effective ways of communicating problem structure in a computer-based learning environment and tested whether verbal instruction is necessary to specify solution steps, when deep structure is already embellished by instructional examples. Participants learned to solve algebra-like problems and then solved transfer problems that required adjustment of learned procedures. Experiment 1 demonstrated that verbal instruction helped learning by reducing learners' floundering, but its positive effect disappeared in the transfer. More importantly, students transferred better when they studied with examples that emphasized problem structure rather than solution procedure. Experiment 2 showed that verbal instruction was not necessarily more effective than nonverbal scaffolding to convey problem structure. Final understanding was determined by transparency of problem structure regardless of presence of verbal instruction. However, verbal instruction had a positive impact on learners by having them persist through the task, and optimal instructional choices were likely to differ depending on populations of learners.

What can technology offer to linguistically diverse classrooms? Using multilingual content in a computer-based learning environment for primary education

ABSTRACTComputer-based learning environments (CBLEs) have the potential to integrate the linguistic diversity present in classrooms as a resourceful tool in pupils’ learning process. Particularly for pupils who speak a language at home other than the language which is used at school, more understanding is needed on how CBLEs offering multilingual content can assist them. With this study, we aim to gain insight into the way pupils interact with a CBLE which provides support in their home language through different digital tools. Therefore, E-Validiv was developed, a CBLE offering multilingual content, namely in the language of instruction and pupils’ home language. Six fifth-grade pupils were videotaped while working on E-Validiv and their activities were logged. Afterwards, they were interviewed by means of stimulated recall on the way they had used the CBLE. The results show that the pupils functionally use their home language to support their learning process. Pupils interact with the multilingual CBLE through different digital tools to improve understanding of words and content. The study also identifies barriers which may hinder pupils to use the multilingual content in an optimal way.

Designing a constructive learning activity with interactive elements: the effects of perspective-shifting and the quality of source material

ABSTRACTWhen teachers or instructors create computer-based learning environments, they often solely consider technical aspects of interactivity. As a consequence, learners’ main role is to respond to requests of the learning environment (e.g. by answering multiple-choice questions). This aspect of interactivity is, however, not sufficient to understand the complex benefits of interactivity for learners’ knowledge acquisition. In order to create a higher level of interactivity, an instructional task that encourages learners to design learning materials for fellow learners is used in this paper. We will show that this instructional task can induce interactive elements because learners are encouraged to take not only their own perspective into account when designing. In addition, we investigated if the quality of source material affects knowledge acquisition in design tasks. In a two-by-two design, students (n = 108) had to design either a learning environment for others (i.e. to perform perspective-shifting), or a representation of acquired knowledge for themselves (no perspective-shifting) with less or more coherent information sources. Results indicate that performing perspective-shifting can be a powerful technique for eliciting interactive learning behavior and, thus, for learning. The quality of information sources does not influence knowledge acquisition to a great extent.

The effectiveness of self-regulated learning scaffolds on academic performance in computer-based learning environments: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis examined research on the effects of self-regulated learning scaffolds on academic performance in computer-based learning environments from 2004 to 2015. A total of 29 articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis with a total sample size of 2648 students. Moderator analyses were performed using a random effects model that focused on the three main areas of scaffold characteristics (including the mechanism, functions, delivery forms, mode, and number of scaffolds; how to promote self-regulated learning by scaffolds); demographics of the selected studies (including sample groups, sample size, learning domain, research settings, and types of computer-based learning environments); and research methodological features (including research methods, types of research design, types of organization for treatment, and duration of treatment). Findings revealed that self-regulated learning scaffolds in computer-based learning environments generally produced a significantly positive effect on academic performance (ES = 0.438). It is also suggested that both domain-general and domain-specific scaffolds can support the entire process of self-regulated learning since they demonstrated substantial effects on academic performance. Different impacts of various studies and their methodological features are presented and discussed.

Examining Scaffolding Support in a Computer-Based Learning Environment for Elementary School Learners

This study explores the use of different scaffolds in the computer-based learning environment (CBLE) watweetjeoverevolutie.be, designed from a pedagogical view and based on theories to promote self-regulated learning as well as knowledge about evolution theory. First, general theoretical constructs underlying the CBLE are described, in which the focus lies on the concept of scaffolding. Then the interface and the content of the CBLE are illustrated. Finally, the scaffolds implemented in the CBLE are described. Results showed a generally high use of the scaffolds by elementary school learners. However, a decrease in scaffolding use was found over time. Next to that, no differences were found between embedded and non-embedded scaffolding use. Relating these findings to the time learners spent in the CBLE, conclusions towards future designs and use of the CBLE and its scaffolds can be made.

ПЕДАГОГІЧНИЙ ЕКСПЕРИМЕНТ ЩОДО СФОРМОВАНОСТІ ПОЛІКУЛЬТУРНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ УЧНЯ В УМОВАХ КОМП’ЮТЕРНО ОРІЄНТОВАНОГО НАВЧАЛЬНОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА

The article presents the results of experimental verification of the levels of multicultural competency of students in terms of computer-oriented learning environment. Pedagogical experiment is held by the author in the research "Development of computer-oriented learning environment in the term of multicultural education students in the European Union." It was found the content of "multicultural competency of students" and clarified the basic content of the study "computer-oriented learning environment in terms of multicultural education of pupils." A scientific theories, approaches and principles for the formation of multicultural competence of students in terms of computer-based learning environment identified. Described criteria for evaluation of multicultural competency levels of students in computer-oriented learning environment. It is concluded that the pedagogic al experiment confirmed the working hypothesis of the study: raising the level of multicultural competency formation of students in computer-oriented learning environment can be achieved through pedagogically effective and scientifically justified use of content, form and means of computer-oriented learning environment in multicultural education in the educational process.

Supporting Students’ Learning and Socioscientific Reasoning About Climate Change—the Effect of Computer-Based Concept Mapping Scaffolds

Climate change is one of the most challenging problems facing today’s global society (e.g., IPCC 2013). While climate change is a widely covered topic in the media, and abundant information is made available through the internet, the causes and consequences of climate change in its full complexity are difficult for individuals, especially non-scientists, to grasp. Science education is a field which can play a crucial role in fostering meaningful education of students to become climate literate citizens (e.g., NOAA 2009; Schreiner et al., 41, 3–50, 2005). If students are, at some point, to participate in societal discussions about the sustainable development of our planet, their learning with respect to such issues needs to be supported. This includes the ability to think critically, to cope with complex scientific evidence, which is often subject to ongoing inquiry, and to reach informed decisions on the basis of factual information as well as values-based considerations. The study presented in this paper focused on efforts to advance students in (1) their conceptual understanding about climate change and (2) their socioscientific reasoning and decision making regarding socioscientific issues in general. Although there is evidence that “knowledge” does not guarantee pro-environmental behavior (e.g. Schreiner et al., 41, 3–50, 2005; Skamp et al., 97(2), 191–217, 2013), conceptual, interdisciplinary understanding of climate change is an important prerequisite to change individuals’ attitudes towards climate change and thus to eventually foster climate literate citizens (e.g., Clark et al. 2013). In order to foster conceptual understanding and socioscientific reasoning, a computer-based learning environment with an embedded concept mapping tool was utilized to support senior high school students’ learning about climate change and possible solution strategies. The evaluation of the effect of different concept mapping scaffolds focused on the quality of student-generated concept maps, as well as on students’ test performance with respect to conceptual knowledge as well as socioscientific reasoning and socioscientific decision making.

Self-Efficacy in Computer-Based Learning Environments: A Bibliometric Analysis

The objective of the present study is to describe and analyze the state of research on the self-efficacy construct and its association with learning in computational environments based on the review of articles published in journals during the period between 2006 and 2015. To conduct the study, the Science Direct, Scopus, and SciELO databases were used and a bibliometric analysis was performed. Eighty-one (81) published scientific texts from 31 journals were analyzed. Most academic productivity on the subject matter came from Asian countries. A predominance of correlational studies was found. A total of 62 questionnaires to evaluate participants’ self-efficacy in domains associated with Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) were found. The self-efficacy subscale of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) is used the most by researchers. It is possible to conclude that self-efficacy is a predictor of students’ successful performance in computational environments, which, in turn, influences other variables that allow better attitudes in learning. Self-efficacy has positioned itself as a current and interesting subject matter, which is why e-learning designers and educators must pay attention to the contributions derived from research in order to put them into practice.

Hybrid Technologies for Interdisciplinary Education

Integrated applications using Augmented Reality (AR) and Building Information Modeling (BIM), enhanced by the capacity of handheld devices, are becoming prevalent in the building industry; however their use in learning environments has not been fully explored. Recent research shows that interaction with computer-based tools can enhance learning and collaboration skills. Augmented Reality–the ability to enhance real world observations with computer-generated information– is bringing new dimensions to learning. Combining AR with computer modeling applications and other simulation technologies promises to guide the next generation of computer-based learning environments. This paper describes a learning environment, Ecocon, designed by the integration of AR, BIM, visual simulations, and interactive lessons to support collaborative and interdisciplinary learning for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) fields. Building on theoretical perspectives and advances in the understanding of learning processes, cognition, and development, we describe the pedagogical principles for the design of a prototype tool to enhance AEC interdisciplinary education. The main features of the tool include: 1) using real-world or field contexts for delivering context-aware information and lessons, 2) enriching AR visualization with “intelligence,” so augmented information is responsive to a user’s location, and 3) providing data visualization to support learning.