Levels Of Prior Knowledge Research Articles

Domain-specific prior knowledge and learning: A meta-analysis

It is often hypothesized that prior knowledge strongly predicts learning performance. It can affect learning positively mediated through some processes and negatively mediated through others. We examined the relation between prior knowledge and learning in a meta-analysis of 8776 effect sizes. The stability of individual differences, that is, the correlation between pretest and posttest knowledge, was high (r P + = .534). The predictive power of prior knowledge for learning, i.e., the correlation between pretest knowledge and normalized knowledge gains, was low (r NG + = −.059), almost normally distributed, and had a large 95% prediction interval [–.688, .621]. This strong variability falsifies general statements such as “knowledge is power” as well as “the effect of prior knowledge is negligible.” It calls for systematic research on the conditions under which prior knowledge has positive, negative, or negligible effects on learning. This requires more experiments on the processes mediating the effects of prior knowledge and thresholds for useful levels of prior knowledge.

Kemampuan Berpikir Refraktif Matematis Mahasiswa melalui Pembelajaran Peer-Assited Reflection

Refractive thinking needs to be developed in lectures because it has an essential role in decision-making. However, so far, there has not been found any relevant research that develops refractive thinking through applying a learning strategy. The purpose of this study was to obtain an overview of the enhancement of students' mathematical refractive thinking ability based on prior mathematical knowledge through the application of Peer-Assisted Reflection learning and the influence of the interaction of learning factors and the level of prior mathematical knowledge on enhancing mathematical refractive thinking ability. This research is a quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design. Using the purposive sampling technique, 73 students were selected to take the Multivariable Calculus course. The research sample was students who took the Multivariable Calculus course. The instrument used was a prior mathematical knowledge test and a mathematical refractive thinking ability test. Data analysis used t-test, t’-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Aligned Rank Transform, and two-way ANOVA. The findings of this study are: (1) The enhancement of students' mathematical refractive thinking ability who got Peer-Assisted Reflection learning is better than those who got conventional learning for all levels of prior mathematical knowledge; and (2) There is no significant effect on the interaction between learning and prior mathematical knowledge on improving mathematical refractive thinking ability.

Faster Exo-Earth yield for HabEx and LUVOIR via extreme precision radial velocity prior knowledge

The HabEx and LUVOIR mission concepts reported science yields for mission scenarios in which the instruments must search for potentially habitable planets, determine their orbits, and, if worthwhile, invest the integration time for a spectral characterization. We evaluate the impact of prior knowledge of planet existence and orbital parameters on yield for four mission concept architectures: HabEx 4m telescope with hybrid starshade and coronagraph, HabEx 4m telescope with starshade only, HabEx 4m telescope with coronagraph only, and LUVOIR B 8m telescope with coronagraph only. We use perfect prior knowledge to establish an upper bound on yield and use partial prior knowledge from a potential future extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) instrument with 3 cm / s sensitivity. We detail a modeling framework that performs dynamically responsive observation scheduling with realistic mission constraints. We evaluate exo-Earth yields against three metrics of spectral characterization for the four mission architectures and three levels of prior knowledge (none, partial, and perfect). The EPRV provided prior knowledge increases yields by ∼30 % and accelerates by a factor of 3 to 6 the time to achieve half of the yield of the mission. Prior knowledge makes all the mission architectures more nimble and powerful, and most especially starshade-based architectures. With prior knowledge, a small telescope with a starshade can achieve comparable yield to a larger telescope with a coronagraph.

Investigating self-beliefs and success for English medium instruction learners studying finance

English is increasingly being used as a medium instruction in business education at the tertiary level, with its growth fueled by university internationalization. As a result, many students enrolled in English medium business programs are learning through a second or foreign language, with variant levels of prior knowledge and experiences. This raises questions over the impact these factors have on students’ ability to succeed. This paper reports on an investigation of the extent that English language proficiency, mathematical ability, English self-efficacy, mathematical self-efficacy, experience overseas, and gender predict success in studying finance in English at a university in Japan.

The relationship among prior knowledge, accessing learning supports, learning outcomes, and game performance in educational games

In-game learning supports aim to help students solve game levels (i.e., game-related supports), and connect to underlying content (i.e., content-related and hybrid supports). Students with different levels of prior knowledge may have different needs for in-game supports. In this study, we designed a 2D physics game with game-related, content-related, and hybrid supports to explore the relationships among students’ prior knowledge, their access of learning supports, learning outcomes, and game performance. Our sample included 199 ninth- to eleventh-grade students from a K-12 school in the southeastern US. Our findings indicated that students, regardless of their degree of prior knowledge, tended to access supports that directly addressed the solution of game levels (game-related supports) rather than those which presented content (content-related and hybrid supports). We found that the more frequently students accessed the hybrid supports, the greater their knowledge acquisition, and the more game levels they solved. We found no significant relations between the access of game-related and content-related supports and students’ learning and game performance. Moreover, students with high prior knowledge tended to use hybrid supports more frequently than those with low prior knowledge. Implications of our findings and suggestions regarding future research are discussed.

Effects of Panoramic Image Virtual Reality on the Workplace English Learning Performance of Vocational High School Students

Digital learning has become an inevitable trend with many benefits for students’ learning performance and motivation. However, Virtual Reality, a pervasive mode of digital learning nowadays, has incurred ambivalence among teachers over the years due to its high cost and other technical concerns. Panoramic image VR (PIVR) is a cost-efficient alternative to conventional VR in classroom settings, and is featured in this quasi-experimental research as a digital means to simulate language situations in future workplaces for a total of 106 vocational high school students majoring in auto mechanics. All student participants were divided into an experimental and a control group. The results showed that learning performance, motivation, and satisfaction were better in the experimental group than in the control group thanks to the use of PIVR. Furthermore, it was found that the learning performance of the experimental group students with medium prior knowledge was significantly better than that of the control group students of the same level of prior knowledge. However, no such difference was found for the remaining participants. It is thus inferred that PIVR-based digital learning might be more effective for students with medium prior knowledge than for those with either high or low prior knowledge.

Delaying elaborated feedback within computer‐based learning environments: The role of summative and question‐based feedback

AbstractElaborative feedback (EF) containing explanations on students' responses benefits learning. Computer‐based environments provide learners with EF in different ways, for example, on an immediate question‐by‐question basis or after answering a set of questions. Recent findings also suggest that delaying EF enhances learning. However, it is unclear to what extent different types of delayed‐EF favour students' performance. This study examines whether and how two types of delayed‐EF (question‐based vs. summative) influence students' question‐answering performance and final learning over immediate‐EF. One hundred thirty‐three secondary‐school students read a scientific text and answered 12 multiple‐choice questions in a computer‐based environment. A day later, students completed a final learning test with 20 open‐ended questions. Results showed that neither question‐based delayed EF nor summative delayed EF outperformed immediate EF. However, EF moderated the relationship between students' prior knowledge and their performance outcomes, suggesting that students with higher levels of prior knowledge receiving summative delayed EF benefited more.

Effect of Differentiated Instruction and 5E Learning Cycle on Academic Achievement and Self-efficacy of Students in Physics Lesson

The learning characteristics of each student are different. Differentiated instruction considers individual differences, as such guides the learning journey rather than seeing these differences as a challenge. The purpose of this research was to compare the effects of differentiated instruction and 5E learning cycle in physics classes on the students' academic achievement and self-efficacy. We used the matching - pre-test/post-test - control group design to address the research questions. We conducted the study in three different schools, performed three experiments, and had three control groups. 162 10th grade students participated in the study. We used the ‘Electricity Prior Knowledge Test’, ‘Electricity Achievement Test’, and the ‘Physics Self-Efficacy Scale’ to collect data. SPSS version 20 software was used to analyse the obtained quantitative data. Independent samples t-test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference between the control and experimental group students’ level of prior knowledge regarding the subject of electricity. The analysis of covariance was used to determine whether there was a significant difference between the control and experimental group students’ course achievements after the implementation. Two-factor mixed-measures ANOVA was used to determine whether the experimental and control group students’ pre-test and post-test scores on self-efficacy differed. Based on the results, it can be concluded that differentiated instruction improved the academic achievement of the low- and mid-achieving students. When the self-efficacy scores of the students were analysed, no significant difference was found between the groups. Based on the results of the research, researchers or teachers who want to use differentiated teaching in their classrooms may be recommended to create level groups in the classroom.

Prior knowledge of students in analytical geometry in terms of gender analyzed using the Rasch model

The purpose of this study is to describe the prior mathematical proficiency of students in terms of gender analyzed by the Rasch model. Participants consisted of a class of second-semester students who contacted analytic geometry courses comprised of 11 men and 29 women at one of the universities in Indonesia. The research instrument was a test item describing five questions about points and lines in the plane. The results showed students answered questions according to their level of ability, and there was no gender bias. Therefore in learning that will carried out in groups should be heterogeneous from the prior level of mathematical and gender prior knowledge.

A predictive account of how novelty influences declarative memory

A rich body of studies in the human and non-human literature has examined the question how novelty influences memory. For a variety of different stimuli, ranging from simple objects and words to vastly complex scenarios, the literature reports that novelty improves memory in some cases, but impairs memory in other cases. In recent attempts to reconcile these conflicting findings, novelty has been divided into different subtypes, such as relative versus absolute novelty, or stimulus versus contextual novelty. Nevertheless, a single overarching theory of novelty and memory has been difficult to attain, probably due to the complexities in the interactions among stimuli, environmental factors (e.g., spatial and temporal context) and level of prior knowledge (but see Duszkiewicz et al., 2019; Kafkas & Montaldi, 2018b; Schomaker & Meeter, 2015). Here we describe how a predictive coding framework might be able to shed new light on different types of novelty and how they affect declarative memory in humans. More precisely, we consider how prior expectations modulate the influence of novelty on encoding episodes into memory, e.g., in terms of surprise, and how novelty/surprise affect memory for surrounding information. By reviewing a range of behavioural findings and their possible underlying neurobiological mechanisms, we highlight where a predictive coding framework succeeds and where it appears to struggle.

How the poor get richer: Signaling guides attention and fosters learning from text‐graph combinations for students with low, but not high prior knowledge

AbstractIn multimedia learning, graphs are seen as just one specific instance of pictorial representations requiring the same cognitive processes as realistic depictions. Accordingly, learning from text‐graph combinations should also benefit from the same instructional support such as signaling of text‐picture correspondences depending on learners' prior knowledge. We investigated whether this expertise reversal of the signaling effect could be replicated for text‐graph combinations. Students (N = 101) with different prior knowledge levels learned with text‐graph combinations that were either enhanced with signals or not. Results indicate an expertise reversal effect on learning outcomes. A moderated mediation analysis of students' visual attention showed that this pattern could be explained by the fact that students with low prior knowledge (LPK) fixated the graph information earlier, whereas high prior knowledge students fixated the graph later when signals were present. Our results suggest that instructional support should be adapted to students' prior knowledge.

An interactive test dashboard with diagnosis and feedback mechanisms to facilitate learning performance

This study developed an interactive test dashboard with diagnosis and feedback mechanisms (ITD-DFM) that can generate visualized, rich, and high-quality test feedback for each learner’s learning reflection and review based on simultaneously considering test response time and correctness to assist students’ learning. A quasi-experimental research was conducted with 50 Grade 8 students from two classes in a public junior high school in Taiwan to assess the learning performance of ITD-DFM. One class with 26 students was assigned to the experimental group using the ITD-DFM to support learning, whereas the other class with 24 students was assigned to the control group using the traditional test system without diagnosis and feedback mechanisms (TTS-NDFM). Experimental results reveal that the learning performance, physics self-efficacy, and technology acceptance of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group. The ITD-DFM has the same effect on promoting the learning performance of learners with different prior knowledge levels as well as learners with either high or low prior knowledge level in the experimental group exhibited significant improvement in physics self-efficacy, but no such results in the control group. The ITD-DFM provides more benefit in promoting the technology acceptance of learners with high prior knowledge level. • Developing an interactive test dashboard with diagnosis and feedback mechanisms (ITD-DFM) to facilitate learning reflection and review. • The ITD-DFM can promote the learning performance, physics self-efficacy, and technology acceptance of learners. • The ITD-DFM has the same effect on promoting the learning performance of learners with different prior knowledge levels. • The ITD-DFM can facilitate learners with either high or low prior knowledge level to promote their physics self-efficacy. • The ITD-DFM provides more benefit in promoting the technology acceptance of learners with high prior knowledge level.

The Effect of Online education after COVID-19 : Focusing on Personal and Social Motivation

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the rapid transition to online classes due to the COVID-19 epidemic on learning effectiveness by a comparative analysis on learning effectiveness considering different types of offline and online classes for the same subject. As a result, the interaction between personal motivation and class type is not significant. On the other hand, the interaction between social motivation and class type is significant and overall online class increases engagement with educational issues. In particular, the group with low social motivation showed greater change than the group with high social motivation, so online education seems to be more effective in the group with low social motivation. It means that by stimulating students’ social motivation rather than personal motivation, the effectiveness of online education can be enhanced, and it can lead to education outcomes - behavioral changes and attitudes of learners. In order to revitalize social motivation in the intensely personal space of online, it is necessary to activate social communication methods such as SNS, and development of interpersonal issues and learning materials would be more efficient. In order to derive more specific results, it is necessary to measure the level of prior knowledge and involvement of the participants in class, and to comprehensively investigate and analyze the state of learners before and after class through more variables. Finally, in order to increase the reliability of the research results, it is necessary to clearly prove it through the establishment of a structural model.

Cognition incarnée et Éducation : Comment l’expérience sensori-motrice stimule l’apprentissage de la lecture-écriture ?

Embodied Cognition and Education: How Does the Sensorimotor Experience Stimulate the Learning of Reading-Writing? Several teaching methods intuitively include the sensorimotor exploration into learning. In order to develop an evidence-based teaching practice, the aim of this synthesis is to demonstrate the role of sensorimotor exploration on the learning of reading and writing, taking into account the diversity of environments (materials and tools). By means of training devices aiming at the association of audio-visual and sensorimotor explorations of letters, studies in psychology, neuropsychology and neuroimaging show that motor processes contribute to the visual recognition and production of letters and words in children with a neurotypical development, children in difficulties or in adults. Consequently, in the field of education, the embodied approach of cognition makes it possible to account for the development of processes in reading-writing where sensorimotor action (kinaesthetic, writing) contributes to learning letters. Indeed, enriched encoding of the letter by the sensory-motor experience facilitates recall through activation of cognitive states of associated prior experiences. Finally, studies also show that the type of action produced by the subject and the level of prior knowledge contributes to the emergence of multimodal knowledge.

Enriching Academic Vocabulary of the Undergraduates in Technological Study Stream in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Exploration of the Effectiveness of Virtual Blended and Face-To-Face Modes

This mixed method case study explored and compared the effectiveness of the Virtual Blended Mode (VBM) and the fully F2F mode in improving academic vocabulary of the undergraduates learning English as a Second Language (ESL) in the F2F mode at the Faculty of Technology in the University of Colombo (UOC). The theoretical alignment was Vygotsky’s (1978) Sociocultural Theory and Anderson’s (1977) Schema Theory. The qualitative part of the study included questionnaire responses from 21 visiting lecturers of English, of the Department of English Language Teaching, UOC, on the most commonly used vocabulary strategy to enhance receptive and productive vocabulary of the undergraduates. The quantitative part of the study included a receptive vocabulary test and a productive vocabulary test with 36 test items. Semantic Mapping strategy (Graves, 2008) was used for vocabulary development activities. Two samples consisted of 96 participants with limited prior knowledge and 78 with higher level of prior knowledge in ESL purposefully were selected based on the grades obtained at their G.C.E. A/L Examination in 2016/2017. Both samples were further grouped as VBM and F2F randomly assigning participants. Two experimental (VBM) groups underwent the intervention with 120 academic vocabulary activities using the Learning Management System (LMS) created for this study while the two control groups practiced the same activities in their F2F classes. All participants used the semantic mapping strategy. The LMS was facilitated with the newest feature of the Web 2.0 technology, the BigBlueButton feature enabling the participants to work collaboratively in small groups online. Receptive and productive vocabulary tests were administered to all participants. Rubric was used to assign scores for answers of the tests. Data analysis focused on the receptive and productive levels of improvement in academic vocabulary. The results showed a significant improvement in the receptive vocabulary development of the participants in the VBM groups in both samples who had the opportunity to practice in a better collaborative environment interacting with their peers 10 percent of the time in F2F mode and 90 percent of the time online compared to their counterparts who practiced 100 percent of the time in the F2F mode proving Vygotsky’s (1978) Sociocultural Theory. However, the participants with limited prior knowledge in ESL performed less in productive test compared to their receptive test showing difficulty in using new words in new contexts proving the Schema Theory (Anderson, 1977) while the participants with higher knowledge performed well in the productive tests disregarding the mode of delivery being utilized. Thus, the study highlights the pedagogical implications for teaching academic English in the context of teaching ESL in Universities in Sri Lanka.

Development and early implementation of an Accessible, Relational, Inclusive and Actionable approach to genetic counseling: The ARIA model

ObjectiveTo describe the training and early implementation of the ARIA model of genetic counseling (Accessible, Relational, Inclusive, Actionable). MethodsAs part of the Cancer Health Assessments Reaching Many (CHARM) study, an interdisciplinary workgroup developed the ARIA curriculum and trained genetic counselors to return exome sequencing results using the ARIA model. CurriculumThe ARIA curriculum includes didactic elements, discussion, readings, role plays, and observations of usual care genetic counseling sessions. The ARIA model provides the skills and strategies needed for genetic counseling to be accessible to all patients, regardless of prior knowledge or literacy level; involves appropriate psychological and social counseling without overwhelming the patient with information; and leaves the patient with clear and actionable next steps. ConclusionWith sufficient training and practice, the ARIA model appears to be feasible, with promise for ensuring that genetic counselors’ communication is accessible, relational, inclusive and actionable for the diverse patients participating in genomic medicine. Practice implicationsARIA offers a coherent set of principles and strategies for effective communication with patients of all literacy levels and outlines specific techniques to practice and incorporate these skills into routine practice. The ARIA model could be integrated into genetic counseling training programs and practice, making genetic counseling more accessible and meaningful for all patients.

Learning From Multiple Representations: Prior Knowledge Moderates the Beneficial Effects of Signals and Abstract Graphics.

Multimedia learning research addresses the question of how to design instructional material effectively. Signaling and adding graphics are typical instructional means that might support constructing a mental model, particularly when learning abstract content from multiple representations. Although signals can help to select relevant aspects of the learning content, additional graphics could help to visualize mentally the subject matter. Learners’ prior knowledge is an important factor for the effectiveness of both types of support: signals and added graphics. Therefore, we conducted an experimental study situated in a university course of computer science with N = 124 participants. In our 2 × 2 factorial design, we investigated the effects of signals and illustrating graphics on learning outcomes and their potential interplay. Based on our regression analysis, we revealed prior knowledge as a significant moderator. Although learners with low levels of prior knowledge can profit from all types of help but still gain rather weak learning outcomes, learners with medium levels of prior knowledge profit from the synergy of both helps. With higher levels of prior knowledge, signals were particularly hampering. To improve the understanding of these supportive or hampering effects, a more fine-grained analysis of these processes and motivational effects is necessary.

Real Or Not Real: The Impact of the Physical Fidelity of Virtual Learning Resources on Learning Anatomy.

Technological advancements have made it possible to create realistic virtual representations of the real world, although it is unclear in medical education whether high physical fidelity is required in virtual learning resources (VLRs). This study, therefore, aimed to compare the effectiveness of high-fidelity (HF) and low-fidelity (LF) VLRs for learning anatomy. For this study, HF and LF VLRs were developed for liver anatomy and participants were voluntarily recruited from two cohorts (cohorts 1 and 2). Knowledge outcomes were measured through pre- and post-tests, task outcomes including activity score and completion time were recorded and participants' perceptions of the VLRs were surveyed. A total of 333 participants (165 HF and 168 LF) took part in this study. Knowledge outcomes were higher for the HF activity in cohort 1 and for the LF activity in cohort 2, although not significantly. There were no significant differences in activity score within either cohort, although completion time was significantly longer for the HF activity in cohort 1 (P=0.001). There were no significant differences within either cohort in perceptions of the VLRs regarding usefulness for reviewing conceptual knowledge, esthetics, quality, mental effort experienced, or future use, although the LF VLR was scored significantly higher regarding the value for understanding in cohort 1 (P=0.027).This study suggests that high physical fidelity is not necessarily required for anatomy VLRs, although may potentially be valuable for improving knowledge outcomes. Also, level of prior knowledge may be an important factor when considering the physical fidelity of anatomy VLRs.

From Growth Poles and Clusters to Business Ecosystems Dynamics: The ILDI Counterproposal

The study of spatial socio-economic development constitutes a significant field of analysis of innovation creation and diffusion. Understanding the spatial evolution of the different socio-economic systems in the age of globalization requires a synthesizing and integrated theoretical approach to how innovation is generated and replicated. This article aims to study three significant spatial socio-economic development theories –the growth poles, the clusters, and the business ecosystems. A literature review reveals that (a) the concept of growth poles concerns mostly the analysis of spatial polarization between specific territories and regions, (b) the clusters concept addresses the issue of developed inter-industrial competition and co-operation from a meso-level perspective, and (c) the analytical field of business ecosystems provides an evolutionary approach that can be valorized for all co-evolving spatial socio-economic organizations. In this context, an eclectically interventional mechanism to strengthen innovation is suggested. The Institutes of Local Development and Innovation (ILDI) policy is proposed for all firms and business ecosystems, of every size, level of spatial development, prior knowledge, specialization, and competitive ability. The ILDI is presented as an intermediate organization capable of diagnosing and enhancing the firm’s physiology in structural Stra.Tech.Man terms (strategy-technology-management synthesis).

The moderating effect of prior knowledge on the relationship between intelligence and complex problem solving – Testing the Elshout-Raaheim hypothesis

Although the relation between intelligence and complex problem solving (CPS) has been investigated repeatedly, the moderating effect of prior knowledge on this relation still remains an open question. The Elshout-Raaheim hypothesis (see Leutner, 2002) predicts a higher correlation between intelligence and CPS at a medium level of problem specific prior knowledge and lower correlations at higher as well as lower levels of prior knowledge, thus a curvilinear moderation. We investigated this hypothesis in a sample of N = 495 high school students by using general intelligence (g) and a minimal complex systems approach (MCS) of CPS. Strategic prior knowledge in the sense of the relative frequency of the vary-one-thing-at-a-time strategy (VOTAT; Tschirgi, 1980) increased across MCS tasks in the knowledge acquisition phase of CPS. With increasing prior knowledge, correlations followed the predicted inverted U-shaped pattern in the knowledge acquisition phase and the knowledge application phase of CPS, thus supporting the Elshout-Raaheim hypothesis. The moderating effect of strategic prior knowledge for the intelligence–CPS relation and its relevance are discussed.