Initial Mental Model Research Articles

Investigating the impact of three levels of representation-based visual media on students’ mental models

Abstract This study examines the effect of visual media on students’ mental models regarding battery functions and electrical resistance concepts. The study presents a novel visual media approach consisting of phenomena videos, dynamic analogies, and microscopic models. The development of the visual media followed the ADDIE model. The research subjects were 25 12th-grade students from a private senior high school in Bandung, West Java. Students’ mental models were assessed using open-ended test that examined four concepts: (1) electromotive force (EMF) in batteries; (2) electrical resistance; (3) resistors in series; and (4) resistors in parallel. The test were administered as both pre-tests and post-tests.The pre-test results revealed that the majority of students had initial mental models regarding battery functions and electrical resistance concepts. By the end of the study, most students had developed synthetic mental models. However, the majority successfully achieved scientific mental models concerning electrical resistance concepts. In other concepts, only a few students achieved scientific mental models. Overall, the visual media had a significant positive effect on students’ mental models, with corrections observed in 92% of students for EMF in batteries, 96% for electrical resistance, 80% for resistors in series, and 84% for resistors in parallel.These findings encourage physics teachers and researchers to develop innovative visual media focused on correcting students’ mental models in scientific concept learning.

Augmented Reality and Student Learning: Analysis of Mental Models of Salt Hydrolysis at SMAN 51 Jakarta, Indonesia

This study aimed to ascertain students' mental models while learning about salt hydrolysis through augmented reality (AR). The study comprised 36 participants from Public High School 51 in Jakarta. A descriptive qualitative approach was adopted for this research, employing various data collection methods such as written drawings, interviews, classroom observations, teacher notes, student worksheets, and final tests. In categorizing students' mental models, three main types emerged: scientific, synthetic, and initial mental models. The findings revealed that 7.20% of students fell into the initial mental model category, 53.90% exhibited synthetic mental models, and 38.90% demonstrated scientific mental models. Notably, incorporating AR into salt hydrolysis learning predominantly influenced the development of synthetic mental models. The study's results also indicated that the utilization of AR positively enhanced students' spatial abilities in understanding submicroscopic representations.

PATHWiSE: An Authoring Tool to Support Teachers to Create Robot-Supported Social Learning Experiences During Homework

Educational technologies can provide students with adaptive feedback and guidance, but these systems lack personal interactions that make social and cultural connections to the student's own classroom and prior experiences. Social or companion robots have a high capacity for these types of interactions, but typically require advanced levels of expertise to program. In this study, we examined teachers use of an authoring tool to enable them to leverage their classroom-based expertise to design robot-assisted homework assignments, and explore how seeing a robot enact their designs influences their work. We found that the tool enabled the teachers to create novel social interactions for homework activities that were similar to their classroom interaction patterns. These interaction designs evolved over time and were shaped by the teacher's emerging mental model of the social robot, their concept of the students' perspective of these interactions, and a shift towards informal classroom-like interaction paradigms, thus transforming their view of what they can achieve with homework. We discuss how these findings demonstrate how the context of the activity can influence initial mental models of social activities and suggest practical guidance on designing authoring tools to best facilitate the creation of computer or robot supported social activities, such as homework.

Longer-term exposure vs training: Their effect on drivers' mental models of ADAS technology

Drivers often learn about the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on their vehicles over time and through trial and error. While this experience can aid drivers’ understanding about the systems, it may not necessarily lead to sufficient and accurate mental models, especially concerning less frequent “edge case” situations. This study recruited 39 new owners of vehicles equipped with ADAS technology to which the owners were naïve. The initial mental model of these owners was evaluated using a mental model assessment. To understand changes in mental models over time the assessment was repeated six times over the course of approximately 6 months. Weekly mileage, technology usage, and information regarding their exposure to edge case scenarios was also collected. At the end of the 6 months, participants completed a simulator drive using adaptive cruise control (ACC) that included several edge cases. Over the course of the first 6 months of vehicle ownership, drivers’ scores on the mental model assessment improved. These improvements were largely due to increased understanding of the technology’s limitations as opposed to improvements in knowledge about system function. With respect to driving performance in the simulator session, the mental model scores were not predictive of responses to the edge cases. However, a comparison of those mental model scores against weak and strong mental model benchmark scores gathered in a previous study revealed that mental models improve over 6 months (for some drivers), but not to the level of understanding of a group that received a short but extensive introduction to ACC. This suggests that there is room for improvement in how drivers gain understanding about driver support features and further underscores the need of training and education for proper use and interactions.

Mental model and scientific reasoning ability of chemistry education students during Covid-19 Pandemic online learning

This study aims to find: (1) the development of students' scientific reasoning abilities; (2) mental models developed by students in understanding the concept of dissolving weak acids and weak bases; and (3) the relationship between scientific reasoning abilities and mental models. The research approach is a descriptive study. The research subjects were 38 first-year students of the Chemical Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, The University of Mataram. The research data collected were scientific reasoning ability data and student mental model data on the concept of dissolving weak acids and weak bases. Students' scientific reasoning ability was measured using the revised Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (CTSR) instrument in 2000, developed by Lawson and translated into Indonesian. The translation test has a reliability coefficient, calculated by the KR-20 formula, of 0.74. Identification of mental models using written tests and interviews. The content validity of the mental model test instruments is 94.2%. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The identification of mental models is made by using a constant comparative technique. The results showed a delay in developing students' scientific reasoning abilities compared to the criteria set by Lawson. Most of the students developed initial mental models in understanding dissolving weak acids and bases. In addition, the higher the student's scientific reasoning ability, the mental model developed tends to approach the scientific mental model.

Reducing the Gap between Mental Models of Truck Drivers and Adaptive User Interfaces in Commercial Vehicles

Whether or not a product matches the user’s mental model and therefore his understanding of how it works influences the perceived usability. Therefore, it is beneficial if an interface is based on the user’s initial mental model, hence it works just as expected. If it contradicts preexisting models, operating errors and frustrated users are to be expected. This work proposes a method to increase the probability of correspondence between a developed product and the user’s mental model by addressing a common source of error in the product development process: Product designers assuming their own mental model matches the user’s. The process was demonstrated using the example of an adaptive user interface for commercial vehicles. A questionnaire was used to identify the underlying dimensions of the user group’s mental model of adaptive user interfaces. By conducting two expert workshops and a user survey with 75 truck drivers, a questionnaire consisting of 37 items and four dimensions was constructed. Thereby, the initial mental model of truck drivers regarding an adaptive user interface for commercial vehicles was determined.

Television News Media Consumption and Misperceptions about COVID-19 among US Populations at High Risk for Severe Health Outcomes Early in the Pandemic

ABSTRACT Research indicates that misperceptions that become part of people’s initial mental models about an issue tend to persist and influence their attitudes even after the misperception has been corrected. Recent work on evolving mental models suggests that communication efforts about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath may be improved by crafting messages that acknowledge biases and misunderstandings about the virus and other infectious diseases that may remain among members of the target audience. This study was designed to provide insight into such biases by: (1) establishing salient categories of COVID-related misperceptions in the earliest months of the pandemic in the United States among (a) the general population, and (b) demographic sub-populations at high risk of severe health outcomes; (2) identifying demographic predictors of misperceptions; and (3) examining the relationship between consumption of different television news outlets and agreement with misperceptions about COVID-19. A national sample of 1,000 adults in the United States (48.1% male; M age = 47.32, SD = 18.01; 72.9% White/Caucasian, 14.3% Black/African American, 15.9% Hispanic/Latinx) completed a survey between March 19 and March 25, 2020. Results identify prevalent classes of salient early COVID-19 misperceptions. Adjusting for numerous covariates, data indicated individuals over the age of 60 held the fewest COVID-related misperceptions among various demographic sub-populations, misperceptions were most prevalent among Black respondents, and increased consumption of television network news was associated with lower levels of misperception. Consumption of some 24-hour news networks (FOX and MSNBC) were significant positive correlates of misperceptions.

Measuring Mental Model of Primary Teachers and Pre-service Teachers on Heat Transfer Concept

This study compares primary teachers' mental models with pre-service primary school teachers' mental models on the heat transfer concept. The mental model categories reviewed in this study include scientific, synthetic, and initial. This study's method was descriptive quantitative method, with research subjects 40 primary teachers and 40 pre-service primary teachers. This study's instrument is a conceptual understanding test consisting of three parts of a statement that asks for an explanation and description. The results showed that in understanding concepts test in synthetic mental models, 32.5%. In the category of initial mental models, there is a comparison of 32.5%. While in the concept of convection, there is a comparison of 2.5% in the scientific category. For synthetic mental models' category is 5%. In the category of initial mental models is 7.5%. For the concept of radiation, there is no comparison in the category of scientific mental models. Next there is a comparison of 7.5% in the category of synthetic mental models. In the category of initial mental models is 7.5%. Generally, elementary school teachers and students are in synthetic mental models and the initial mental models' category.

Improving chemistry teacher candidates’ mental models in the kinetics course using SiMaYang type II learning

This study aims to investigate the profile of chemistry teacher candidates’ mental models in the kinetics course and improve it using SiMayang Type II learning. The subject of this study was a class of chemistry education students at UIN Walisongo Semarang who had taken kinetics course. Sample was carried out using convenience sampling technique. This study used a descriptive design and pre-experimental one group pretest-posttest design. The results of investigation showed that before being given treatment using SiMayang Type II learning, mental models of students were dominated by initial mental models with a percentage of 55.53% while the rest were synthetic one. After being treated, it was found that there were reduction in the number of initial mental models by 18.03% and synthetic mental model by 4.47%. Meanwhile the scientific mental model increased by 22.50%. The results of statistical tests showed that the learning of SiMayang Type II is effective in improving students’ mental models of chemistry teacher candidates. Learning outcomes have increased with the moderate category based on the N-gain test.

Improving the mental model of high school students related to the concept of global warming through the implementation of the context based learning (CBL) model combined with the CM2RA strategy

The aim of this study was to improve the mental model of high school students related to the concept of global warming through the application of the CBL model using the CM2RA strategy (context, microscopic models, macroscopic phenomena, and analogy representation). The mental model categories reviewed include scientific, synthetic and initial mental models. This mental model category is determined based on the test results data level of conceptual understanding. A pre-experiment method with one group pretest-posttest design was used in this research. The number of research subjects was 40 students consisting of 24 female students and 16 male students, in one of the high schools in the Tasikmalaya district of West Java province. The instrument used to collect data is a test of understanding the concept of global warming in the form of essays covering three parts of the question. The results showed that before the application of CBL, the number of students in each mental model category was: scientific mental model (5%), synthetic (40%), and initial (55%), whereas after the application of CBL, the number of students in each category of mental models becomes: scientific mental model (78%), synthetic (15%), and initial (7%). These results indicate that the implementation of CBL with CM2RA strategies has high effectiveness in facilitating the achievement of the scientific mental model.

Students’ mental models in acid-base topic

This study aims to describe the profiles of students’ mental models of SMA Negeri 1 Singaraja on the topic of acid-base. The study was a survey research. The population consisted of 279 people of the eleventh-grade students of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Classes of SMA Negeri 1 Singaraja in Buleleng Bali Indonesia in a school year of 2018/2019. In this study, all members of the population became members of the samples. The data needed in this study were the student’s mental model scores. Data were collected by a diagnostic test. Data were analyzed descriptively by grouping students’ mental models into three types, including scientific, synthetic, and initial mental models. The results showed that students had scientific, synthetic, and initial mental models of 2.69%, 61.766%, and 35.56% respectively.

Modelo didáctico analógico como mediador de enseñanza y aprendizaje universitario del Sistema Cardiovascular

El aula es un espacio donde el docente puede poner al estudiante en el rol de un cientifico a traves del empleo de modelos para predecir y explicar nuevos fenomenos del conocimiento (Bahamonde y Galindo 2016). Esto pone en palabras que los alumnos son constructores de su conocimiento y que aprender Ciencias significativamente implica recrear las teorias en sistemas de representacion internas donde los conceptos estan relacionados, y que a partir de la investigacion accion pueden ser identificados (Gentiletti 2012). El objetivo de esta investigacion es analizar los modelos mentales iniciales de los estudiantes, y compararlos con los modelos mentales finales que elaboran luego de varias intervenciones didacticas de corte socioconstructivista. Se realiza un estudio de tipo cualitativo y cuantitativo donde se estudio el proceso de aprendizaje autorregulado y guiado por el docente sobre estructura y funcion del Sistema Cardiovascular en 57 estudiantes universitarios de la Carrera del Profesorado en Ciencias Biologicas (UNLPam, Argentina). Se analizaron retrospectivamente producciones obtenidas a lo largo de los anos, a partir de una consigna y del empleo del Modelo didactico analogico (MDA) (Galagovsky y Aduriz-Bravo 2001). Se solicito al estudiante que realizase un esquema del Sistema Cardiovascular con sus conocimientos previos (modelo mental inicial) y que luego de modificaciones personales; de trabajo colaborativo entre pares y la intervencion docente con enfoque pedagogico en la interdisciplina efectuara un esquema final individual (modelo mental final). Se encontro que del esquema inicial al final se incremento significativamente el numero de conocimientos o ideas claves es decir, la diferencia de efecto medio fue - 2,01 a favor de los modelos mentales finales (t=-12,05 ; p < 0.01; g.l. 1). La investigacion accion presentada es innovadora en la ensenanza universitaria porque evidencia que pos intervencion pedagogica los estudiantes reconfiguraron significativamente los modelos mentales iniciales con una mirada positiva a las Ciencias en el tratamiento pedagogico del Sistema cardiovascular. Palabras clave: Modelo didactico analogico; interdisciplina; formacion del profesorado; modelos mentales; sistema cardiovascular. Analog didactic model as a mediator of university teaching and learning of the Cardiovascular System Abstract: The classroom is a space where the teacher can put the student in the role of a scientist through the use of models to predict and explain new phenomena of knowledge (Bahamonde and Galindo 2016). This puts into words that students are builders of their knowledge and that learning science significantly implies recreating theories in internal representation systems where concepts are related, and that from action research can be identified (Gentiletti 2012). The objective of this investigation is to analyze the initial mental models of the students, and compare them with the final mental models that they elaborate after various didactic interventions of a socio-constructivist nature. A qualitative and quantitative study was carried out where the self-regulated and teacher-guided learning process on the structure and function of the Cardiovascular System was studied in 57 university students of the Biological Sciences Teaching Career (UNLPam, Argentina). Productions obtained over the years were analyzed retrospectively, based on a slogan and the use of the Analogue Teaching Model (MDA) (Galagovsky and Aduriz-Bravo 2001). The student was asked to make a scheme of the Cardiovascular System with his previous knowledge (initial mental model) and after personal modifications; Collaborative work between peers and the teaching intervention with a pedagogical focus in the interdiscipline will carry out an individual final scheme (final mental model). It was found that from the initial scheme to the end the number of knowledge or key ideas increased significantly, that is, the difference in the mean effect was - 2.01 in favor of the final mental models (t = -12.05; p <0.01; gl 1). The action research presented is innovative in university education because it shows that after pedagogical intervention, students significantly reconfigured the initial mental models with a positive view of the Sciences in the pedagogical treatment of the cardiovascular system. Keywords: analog didactic model; interdisciplinary; teacher training; mental models; cardiovascular system.

Texts and pictures serve different functions in conjoint mental model construction and adaptation.

In this study we examined the different functions of text and pictures during text-picture integration in multimedia learning. In Study 1, 144 secondary school students (age = 11 to 14 years; 72 females, 72 males) received six text-picture units under two conditions. In the delayed-question condition, students first read the units without a specific question (no-question phase), to stimulate initial coherence-oriented mental model construction. Afterward the question was presented (question-answering phase), to stimulate task-adaptive mental model specification. In the preposed-question condition, students received a specific question from the beginning, stimulating both kinds of processing. Analyses of the participants' eye movement patterns confirmed the assumption that students allocated a higher percentage of available resources to text processing during the initial mental model construction than during adaptive model specification. Conversely, students allocated a higher percentage of available resources to picture processing during adaptive mental model specification than during the initial mental model construction. In Study 2 (N = 12, age = 12 to 16; seven females, five males), we ruled out that these findings were due to the effect of rereading, by implementing a no-question phase either once or twice. To sum up, texts seem to provide more explicit conceptual guidance in mental model construction than pictures do, whereas pictures support mental model adaptation more than text does, by providing flexible access to specific information for task-oriented updates.

Bringing stakeholders together to articulate multiple value dimensions of ecosystem services

Ecosystem services are embedded with multiple values. Capturing and integrating plural perspectives when conducting ecosystem services studies is a recognized need and yet a challenge. This paper proposes a participatory approach that fosters articulation of values allowing the integration of different value dimensions to inform decision-making processes, an important challenge that has been gaining traction in the field of ecosystem services research. Using participation as a value articulating institution, stakeholder groups of the Portuguese marine and coastal Arrábida Natural Park were engaged in a participatory process that included a collaborative workshop to articulate value dimensions expressed by ecological, economic and social criteria in two different contexts: the assessment of project alternatives for regulating access to beaches and recreational activities and a conflict related with allocation of coastal vineyard areas. Results demonstrate that the proposed deliberative process fostered changes in participants’ initial mental models and created new insights, namely by generating additional alternatives, expanding perceptions on affected ES, and helping the formalization of multiple evaluation criteria and decision rules, thus supporting decision-making in marine and coastal protected areas.

Construction and elaboration of mental models through strategic conjoint processing of text and pictures.

Conjoint processing of text and pictures is assumed to possess an inherent asymmetry, because text and pictures serve fundamentally different but complementary functions. Conjoint processing is assumed to start with general, coherence-oriented mental model construction. When certain tasks have to be solved, the mental model is adjusted to the task requirements by adaptive mental model elaboration. We hypothesized that, due to different constraints on cognitive processing, initial mental model construction is more text-driven than picture-driven, whereas adaptive mental model elaboration is more picture-driven than text-driven. We also hypothesized that there are more transitions between text and picture during initial model construction than during adaptive model elaboration and more task–picture transitions than task–text transitions during adaptive mental model elaboration. To test these hypotheses, we selected 6 text–picture units from textbooks on biology and geography, each combined with 3 comprehension items of different complexity. The units and corresponding items were presented to 204 students from Grades 5 to 8 from the higher tier and the lower tier of the German school system. The participants were required to answer the presented items 1 by 1. Their eye movements were analyzed in terms of fixations and transitions between texts, pictures, and items as dependent variables. The independent variables were school tier, grade, and order of presentation. The results confirmed our hypotheses. We presume that the benefits of learning from text and pictures are due to the inherent asymmetry, which allows the learner to combine the specific advantages of both forms of representations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Biology Students’ Initial Mental Model about Microorganism

The purpose of this study was to identify biology students’ initial mental model about microorganism. This research used descriptive method with 32 sixth semester biology students at Biology Education Departement-Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia as its respondents. Data was taken at the beginning of the 6th semester before respondents endure microbiology course. Instrument used to assess mental model was drawing-writing test in which it contains concepts such as structure of bacteria, archaea, virus, and fungi. Students were asked to describe their imagination about the structure of microorganisms and subsequently asked to explain the structure of microorganisms in writing through open-ended questions. Students’ response was then compared to scientists or experts’ mental models as the targeted mental model. Student mental models were categorized into five levels (levels 1-5), namely “there is no drawing/writing,” “wrong or irrelevant drawing/writing of question,” “partially correct drawing/writing,” “the drawing/writing that has some deficiencies,” and “completely correct and complete drawing/writing.” Results showed that the level of mental models through drawing or writing about the four concepts were varied. The highest level of mental models through drawing (D5) was found in the concept of bacteria, while the highest level of mental models through writing (W3) was found in the concept of bacteria, virus, and fungi. Mental model levels most commonly found in each concept through drawing-writing tests (D/W) were bacteria (D2/W2), Archaea (D1/W1 and D2/W2), virus (D3/W3), and fungi (D2/W1). From these results it is advisable to improve lectures and assessment strategy to enhance or complement students’ mental models about microorganisms.

Integrative or Autonomous? Mental Models and Experimentation-Driven Business Model Innovation

This study looks at the cognitive factors that influence the discovery-driven business model innovation. We explore four case studies in the European Connected Health sector, an emergent high-tech industry that blends healthcare and ICT, seeking to understand which types of founders’ mental models, imprinted upon organization at the formation stage, are more conducive to a subsequent change of business model. Our study contributes to the conversation on discovery-driven business model innovation by investigating cognitive boundaries to an experimentation process and developing a model that conceptualizes the influence of mental models on all stages of experimentation process. We also build a framework that introduces a typology of companies using the type of initial mental model and experimentation behavior as two core dimensions. For each type of companies, this framework points practitioners towards rigidities that may inhibit business model innovation.

Immediate inferences from quantified assertions.

We propose a theory of immediate inferences from assertions containing a single quantifier, such as: All of the artists are bakers; therefore, some of the bakers are artists. The theory is based on mental models and is implemented in a computer program, mReasoner. It predicts three main levels of increasing difficulty: (a) immediate inferences in which the premise and conclusion have identical meanings; (b) those in which the initial mental model of the premise yields the correct conclusion; and (c) those in which only an alternative to the initial model establishes the correct conclusion. These levels of difficulty were corroborated for inferences to necessary conclusions (in a reanalysis of data from Newstead, S. E., & Griggs, R. A. (1983). Drawing inferences from quantified statements: A study of the square of opposition. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 22, 535-546), for inferences to modal conclusions, such as, it is possible that all of the bakers are artists (Experiment 1), for inferences with unorthodox quantifiers, such as, most of the artists (Experiment 2), and for inferences about the consistency of pairs of quantified assertions (Experiment 3). The theory also includes three parameters in a stochastic system that predicted quantitative differences in accuracy within the three main sorts of inference.

Third Grade Students’ Mental Models of Blood Circulation Related to Exercise

Students’ prior knowledge has been identified to play an important role in the learning process through conceptual change. In physical education, positive changes in students’ lifestyles may come from changes in their conceptual understanding. In this study 45 third grade students (mean age = 8.54 years) were interviewed during their regular physical education class to examine their mental models and naïve theories of blood circulation related to exercise. Results revealed one initial mental model (when you exercise, your blood goes everywhere in your body) and three synthetic mental models. These mental models were generated under the constraint of a naïve framework theory. Results are discussed in relation to: (a) the nature of gradual growth of students’ mental models through enrichment, (b) children’s prior experience of the physical world and their subsequent explanations of physiological changes related to exercise, and (c) physical education as a domain-specific knowledge.

Strategy shifts during learning from texts and pictures.

Reading for learning frequently requires integrating text and picture information into coherent knowledge structures. This article presents an experimental study aimed at analyzing the strategies used by students for integrating text and picture information. Four combinations of texts and pictures (text–picture units) were selected from textbooks on biology and geography, each combined with 3 comprehension test items of different complexity. Item difficulties were assessed in terms of item-response theory and through a cognitive task analysis. The texts, pictures, and items were presented to 40 students from Grades 5 and 8 from the higher tier and the lower tier of the German school system. Participants were asked to process the material and answer the items. Students’ eye movements were recorded and analyzed in terms of number of fixations on different areas of interest as well as eye-movement transitions between these areas. Results suggest that text and pictures serve fundamentally different functions associated with different processing strategies in goal-directed knowledge acquisition. Texts are more likely to be used for coherence-oriented general processing. They guide the learner’s conceptual analysis of the subject matter, which results in a coherent semantic network and initial mental model. Pictures are used as scaffolds for the initial mental model construction. Afterward, however, they are more likely to be used for task-driven selective processing serving as easily accessible visual representations on demand for item-specific mental model updates.