Prior Knowledge Group Research Articles

Effects of Prior Knowledge and Peer Assessment on the Quality of English as a Foreign Language Poetry Writing

Poetry, being a distinct literary art form, fosters meaningful literacy, but few studies focus on enhancing its writing quality. Using a 2 × 2 between-subject design, this study explored the effects of prior knowledge and peer assessment on the quality of English as a foreign language poetry writing. A total of 81 English majors participated in a 7-week online poetry writing task, generating 567 poems on seven themes. Literary experts evaluated the poems across seven aspects. Results revealed that peer assessment enhanced general writing quality, specifically for participants with high prior knowledge. Prior knowledge negatively influenced personal voice and organization, with the low prior knowledge group showing a stronger focus on personal expressions and the flow of the poem. Peer assessment positively influenced the use of poetry schemes, with the assessed group demonstrating better utilization compared to the non-assessed group. The findings guide teaching poetic knowledge, encourage communication among students, and ultimately improve the quality of L2 poetry writing.

Evaluation of Concrete Durability Based on Cloud Model and D-S Evidence Theory

The environment in alpine region is complex and harsh, and the durability of concrete is seriously affected by freeze-thaw and salt invasion. In this paper, the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity, chloride permeability coefficient, mass loss rate and carbonation depth are selected as the evaluation indexes of concrete durability in Northeast China. Based on prior knowledge and expert group decision-making, the durability grade is divided and the evaluation standard is established; The evaluation model of concrete durability based on cloud model and D-S evidence theory is established. According to the engineering experimental data, the membership degree of concrete durability evaluation index in different grades is obtained through the correlation measurement of cloud model. The normalized evidence is formed and fused by D-S evidence theory. The results show that the durability grade of concrete is grade I, which is consistent with the actual project. It shows that using cloud model and evidence theory evaluation model to evaluate the durability of concrete is a new and effective method.

GENDER VIOLENCE PREVENTION AS LEADERSHIP EDUCATION: Feminist-Inspired Bystander Training for College Student Leaders

This exploratory study examined the leadership education potential of sexual assault prevention training via a prevention approach that expressly constructs bystander education as a leadership issue. Evaluation of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program offers a practical application of a leadership education approach through a feminist lens, a framework recently advocated by Iverson, McKenzie, and Halman (2019) to better prepare student leaders for active engagement with the central social issues of their time. After undergoing one-day MVP leadership trainings, student leaders (n = 239) evidenced positive gains in such areas as leadership readiness in gender violence prevention, confidence as bystanders, and a willingness to help others. Results also suggest that participants’ prior knowledge, leadership background, and peer group membership shaped their engagement with the program. As a feminist method, MVP worked well for both women and men and across students’ varying racial/ethnic identities, but differences by peer group reveal areas in which additional research and intervention programming may be needed.

How Prior Knowledge Affects Visual Attention of Japanese Mimicry and Onomatopoeia and Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Virtual Reality Eye Tracking

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, “achieving inclusive and quality education for all”, foreign language learning has come to be seen as a process of integrating sustainable development into the socio-cultural aspects of education and learning. The aim of this study was to employ virtual reality (VR) eye tracker to examine how students with different levels of prior knowledge process visual behaviors for Japanese Mimicry and Onomatopoeia (MIO) while learning Japanese as a second foreign language. A total of 20 students studying at the Department of Applied Japanese at the university of Southern Taiwan were recruited. Based on the Japanese language proficiency test (JLPT) level, 20 participants were divided into high prior knowledge group (levels N1–N3) with 7 participants, and low prior knowledge group (level N4 or below) with 13 participants. The learning stimuli materials were created by Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) development tool to design a 3D virtual MIO paradise, including 5 theme amusement parks. Through a VR eye tracker, participants’ visual behaviors were tracked and recorded based on 24 different regions of interest (ROIs) (i.e., ROI1–ROI24). This was done to discuss the distribution of visual attention in terms of different ROIs of each theme amusement park based on four eye movement indicators, including latency of first fixation (LFF), duration of first fixation (DFF), total fixation durations (TFD), and fixation counts (FC). Each ROI of the two groups were then compared. In addition, a heat zone map was also generated to show the overall visual distribution of each group. After the experiment, based on the eye movement indicators and test scores in the pre-test and post-test phases, statistical analysis was used to examine and evaluate the differences in visual attention and learning outcomes. The results revealed that the gaze sequences of the two prior knowledge groups gazing at the ROIs in theme parks were different, except for the gaze sequence in the circus theme park. Different prior knowledge groups exhibited differences in visual attention in the ROIs fixated on in each amusement park. Additionally, in terms of TFD and FC of different groups in each amusement park, there was no significant difference except in ROI10, ROI16, and ROI18. Moreover, after receiving cognitive comprehension processes introduced in the VR-simulated MIO scenes, students from both groups achieved higher post-test scores compared with pre-test scores, and such differences had statistical significance. In conclusion, the implications of VR eye movement analysis on developing students’ competence related to learning Japanese and cross-cultural aspects, compatible with sustainable development, were presented.

Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Mahasiswa pada Kalkulus Integral Dilihat dari Keyakinan dan Pengetahuan Awal Matematis

Integral calculus is a course where students tend to have difficulties in problem-solving. This study examines differences in mathematical beliefs in students' problem-solving skills based on mathematics prior knowledge. This study's subjects were 120 students of the Mathematics Education study program from UPH Faculty of Education. The independent variable is mathematical beliefs, the moderator variable is prior mathematics knowledge, and the dependent variable is students' problem-solving skills. This study is an ex post facto quantitative research with instruments in a Likert scale questionnaire for mathematical beliefs, problem-solving, and mathematics prior knowledge test scores. Hypotheses were tested statistically with a two-way Anova test using SPSS 16.0. The results of the study were: (1) students' problem-solving of logical consistency beliefs is higher than memorized and procedural beliefs, (2) there is an interaction between mathematical beliefs and mathematics prior knowledge on problem-solving, (3) students' problem-solving in high mathematics prior knowledge group of logical consistency beliefs is higher than memorized, and procedural beliefs, and (4) students' problem-solving in low mathematics prior knowledge group of logical consistency beliefs is lower than memorized and procedural beliefs.

Prior knowledge and other individual differences in the development of accuracy over the time-course of a pre-test/treatment/post-test study of instructed second language acquisition

Time-course data are temporal data that can be explored statically as an outcome measure of accuracy or dynamically from evolutionary and developmental perspectives. The present study examines the development and evolution of accuracy throughout the time-course of a pre-test/treatment/post-test study of instructed second language acquisition. The treatment is processing instruction (PI), which has a long history of positive results. PI research has overwhelmingly compared pre-test with post-test accuracy scores. The present study provides a fine-grained analysis as accuracy evolved and developed sentence by sentence. We analyse two sentence types: baseline active sentences and the target of instruction, passive sentences. Participants were divided into two groups, higher/lower prior knowledge, based on their pre-test scores processing passive sentences. Typically, PI research excludes higher prior knowledge participants, but here they are a comparison group. Our base measurement of development is an accuracy trend, defined as at least three correct answers in a row. We found that the number and length of accuracy trends increased over the time-course of the study and are affected by both sentence type and prior knowledge. The higher prior knowledge group always seems to have the advantage. Both prior knowledge groups benefit from instruction, but in different ways. We also found individual differences within the lower prior knowledge group: some participants benefited a great deal from instruction, some very little, and for some their accuracy with the baseline active sentences was temporarily destabilised.

Patterns of peer scaffolding in technology-enhanced inquiry classrooms: application of social network analysis

The purpose of this study was to identify types and patterns of peer scaffolding that occur during inquiry-based learning (IBL) group activities. It employed a single instrumental case approach that integrated quantitative and qualitative analyses of data gathered from 21 students in a ninth grade biology course. A verbal analysis, a content analysis, and a social network analysis (SNA) were performed to identify patterns in group interactions and refine emergent themes. First, nine types of peer scaffolding were identified and found to serve the goals of direction maintenance, cognitive structuring, and simplification. Second, three different patterns related to the high, mixed, and low prior knowledge levels of each group were identified. The high prior knowledge group provided peer scaffolding that focused attention on considerations key to developing their arguments, and this scaffolding may have improved the group’s work. In the mixed prior knowledge group, the students with greater prior knowledge were likely to support those with less prior knowledge. Together, these findings indicate the way students are grouped may impact observable patterns in peer scaffolding. Identifying the difficulties that learners face and the assistance they seek could help instructional designers and teachers identify areas in which students need support during IBL group activities. This study informs educators and practitioners of effective strategies for designing and implementing peer scaffolding to assist inquiry activities in technology-enhanced classroom settings.

Feasibility and use of psychophysiological responses based on cognitive load theory

The purpose of this study was to identify the feasibility of using the pupil dilation and heart rate variability (HRV), to diagnose learners’ changing cognitive load in a video learning setting. The pupil dilation and HRV of 23 participants were recorded during their learning progress, and the learning materials, including differences in task complexity, were presented to the groups of distinct prior knowledge. The results showed that the high prior knowledge group had lower pupil size than the low prior knowledge group, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, the ratio of low frequency to high frequency power (LF/HF ratio) was higher in the high prior knowledge group than in the low prior knowledge group throughout the entire learning process, and the two groups showed different arousal patterns. Overall, learners’ changing cognitive load could be measured and visualised based on psychophysiological responses, the types of cognitive load could be assumed by using the two indices in parallel, and this study raised practical issues to the use of pupil size as an indicator of cognitive load in video learning.

Impacts of Resource Dispersing and Resource Directing Task Dimensions on EFL Learners’ Oral Production

This study was primarily aimed at investigating the effects of simultaneous use of reasoning demand (resource-directing) and prior knowledge (resource-dispersing) on fluency, accuracy, and complexity of L2 oral performance. More, specifically, an attempt was made to investigate how EFL oral production could be affected by ±reasoning demand and ±prior knowledge in the local context of Iran. Thirty male and female Iranian intermediate EFL learners whose mother tongue was Persian and whose age ranged between 23 and 29 were chosen as the participants in this study, and a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was utilized. Assigned to two experimental conditions, participants were engaged in a narrative task in which two different wordless picture stories were chosen for data collection. Such statistical operations as t tests and MANOVA were applied to analyze the data. The results obtained from t tests revealed that in ±reasoning demand condition, both complexity and accuracy significantly improved whereas the results for fluency were not statistically significant. In addition, with regard to the ±prior knowledge group, similar results were obtained. In the end, conducting MANOVA revealed that both groups were not different in the pretest; however, utilizing the same procedure for the posttest illustrated a difference between the two groups in terms of their accuracy and complexity, but not their fluency. The results bear some implications for L2 oral production and practice as controlled by teachers and practitioners in EFL contexts.

How Does Prior Knowledge Influence Eye Fixations and Sequences of Cognitive and Metacognitive SRL Processes during Learning with an Intelligent Tutoring System?

The goal of this study was to use eye-tracking and log-file data to investigate the impact of prior knowledge on college students’ (N = 194, with a subset of n = 30 for eye tracking and sequence mining analyses) fixations on (i.e., looking at) self-regulated learning-related areas of interest (i.e., specific locations on the interface) and on the sequences of engaging in cognitive and metacognitive self-regulated learning processes during learning with MetaTutor, an Intelligent Tutoring System that teaches students about the human circulatory system. Results revealed that there were no significant differences in fixations on single areas of interest by the prior knowledge group students were assigned to; however there were significant differences in fixations on pairs of areas of interest, as evidenced by eye-tracking data. Furthermore, there were significant differences in sequential patterns of engaging in cognitive and metacognitive self-regulated learning processes by students’ prior knowledge group, as evidenced from log-file data. Specifically, students with high prior knowledge engaged in processes containing cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies whereas students with low prior knowledge did not. These results have implications for designing adaptive intelligent tutoring systems that provide individualized scaffolding and feedback based on individual differences, such as levels of prior knowledge.

Tracking students’ visual attention on manga-based interactive e-book while reading: an eye-movement approach

This study employed an eye tracking technology to explore university students’ visual attention and learning performance while learning Japanese using an interactive manga-based e-book. The developed e-book consisted of 8 pages accompanied by 13 annotations with both text and graphical formats. The subjects consisted of 60 students whose eye movements were tracked and recorded by the eye tracking system. These students came from the applied foreign language department in a northern university in Taiwan, of which 30 were assigned to high prior knowledge (PK) group and the other 30 were assigned to low PK group. Eye tracking measurements, including total contact time, number of fixations, latency of first fixation, and number of clicks on the defined regions of interest of the two groups were compared to indicate their visual attention. The results revealed that overall students spent more time on reading text and annotation than graphic information. The high PK students showed longer fixation durations on the texts, while the low PK students showed longer fixation durations on the graphics and annotations. Meanwhile, the low PK students used more clicks to look up underlined annotations whenever they didn’t know words or phrases on the e-book. In addition, with respect to the latency of the first fixation, the graphic captured the attention faster than the text because of the size and its appeal to the students. Further analysis of saccade paths indicated that the low PK students showed more inter-scanning transitions not only between the text dialog and the annotation zone but also within annotation zone. Finally, the results of reading comprehension pretest and posttest found that there was a significant difference in learning outcomes between each PK group.

Developing Nutrition Label Reading Skills: A Web-Based Practice Approach.

BackgroundNutrition labels offer the information needed to follow Dietary Guidelines for Americans, yet many individuals use labels infrequently or ineffectively due to limited comprehension and the effort required to use them.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to develop and test a Web-based label-reading training tool to improve individuals’ ability to use labels to select more healthful foods. We were particularly interested in determining whether practice can lead to increased accuracy using labels as well as decreased effort, together reflecting greater efficiency. We compared a basic and an enhanced, prior-knowledge version of the tool that contained an additional component, a brief nutrition tutorial.MethodsParticipants were 140 college students with an average age of 20.7 (SD 2.1) years and education 14.6 (SD 1.2) years, who completed 3 sets of practice that were designed to teach them, through repetition and feedback, how to use nutrition labels to select more healthful products. Prior to training, participants in the prior-knowledge group viewed a multimedia nutrition presentation, which those in the basic group did not receive. Mixed-effects models tested for improvement in accuracy and speed with practice, and whether improvements varied by group.ResultsThe training led to significant increases in average accuracy across the 3 practice sets (averaging 79% [19/24 questions], 92% [22/24], 96% [23/24] respectively, P<.001), as well as decreases in time to complete with mean (SD) values of 8.7 (2.8), 4.6 (1.8), and 4.1 (1.7) seconds, respectively. In block 3, the odds of a correct answer for the prior-knowledge group were 79% higher (odds ratio, OR=1.79, 95% CI 1.1-2.9) than those for the basic group (P=.02). There was no significant difference between the groups in block 2 (P=.89).ConclusionsPractice led to improvements in nutrition label reading skills that are indicative of early stages of automatic processing. To the extent that automatic processes are at the core of healthy habit change, this may be an efficient way to improve dietary decision-making.

Comparison of different approaches on example-based learning for novice and proficient learners

AbstractThis study examined the effectiveness of two example-based instructional procedures. One procedure examines the effect of example-problem pairs when they are simultaneously presented to a participant. The other procedure involved studying an example and then removing it and having the participant solve a similar problem. Participants were assigned randomly to two above procedures. Cognitive load effects and learning outcomes were assessed. The results indicate that in the low prior knowledge group, learners who were simultaneously given examples and problems performed more effectively and efficiently, and reported significantly lower cognitive load than those who learned from example-problem pairs. In the high prior knowledge group, no significant difference was observed between the two procedures. This study provides empirical support for the process of learning from examples and problems simultaneously. It suggests that the effectiveness of certain instructional procedures in example-based learning depends upon the level of a learner’s prior knowledge.

Understanding the role of prior knowledge in a multimedia learning application

&lt;span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study looked at the effects that individual differences in prior knowledge have on student understanding in learning with multimedia in a computer science subject. Students were identified as having either low or high prior knowledge from a series of questions asked in a survey conducted at the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences at University Technology MARA, Malaysia. The subject domain chosen for this study is a topic taught to undergraduates in the field of Computer Sciences, in the subject of Operating Systems, i.e., Memory Management Concepts. This study utilizes a multimedia application that is shown to a total of 257 students. Early results from the recall and transfer tests indicate that students' individual differences play a vital role in learning outcome. As expected, the low prior knowledge group scored significantly in the recall tests as compared to the transfer test, and the high prior knowledge group performed comparatively better in the transfer test. This suggests that educational designers who wish to foster learning and understanding should incorporate learners' prior knowledge as a design principle.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 29.35pt 10pt 31.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -31.5pt; tab-stops: 0in;"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;

Understanding and Enhancing the Use of Multiple External Representations in Chemistry Education

Theories on learning with Multiple External Representations (MER) claim that low prior knowledge learners in science have difficulties using MER, which are seen as necessary to achieve a conceptual understanding. In two experiments, we analyze the mechanisms underlying the learning of chemistry with MER. Our first experiment focuses on how MER can support learning. We found no difference in learning gains of conceptual understanding, regardless of the format (whether MER were provided or not). It is concluded that chemical MER on themself cannot be seen as learning aids. The second experiment compares three types of instructional aids (prompts, prompts with an answer, and note-taking) to determine which types of aids enhance learning with MER. Contrary to the findings of Seufert (Learn Instr 13:227–237, 2003), path-analysis suggests that the lowest prior knowledge group benefits the most from instructional aids such as prompts and note-taking. These aids guide learners’ attention towards one specific representational format (symbols), while other formats (submicroscopic representations) receive less attention.

The influence of prior knowledge on the retrieval‐directed function of note taking in prior knowledge activation

Prior knowledge activation facilitates learning. Note taking during prior knowledge activation (i.e., note taking directed at retrieving information from memory) might facilitate the activation process by enabling learners to build an external representation of their prior knowledge. However, taking notes might be less effective in supporting prior knowledge activation if available prior knowledge is limited. This study investigates the effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking depending on learners' level of prior knowledge. It is hypothesized that the effectiveness of note taking is influenced by the amount of prior knowledge learners already possess. Sixty-one high school students participated in this study. A prior knowledge test was used to ascertain differences in level of prior knowledge and assign participants to a low or a high prior knowledge group. A 2×2 factorial design was used to investigate the effects of note taking during prior knowledge activation (yes, no) depending on learners' level of prior knowledge (low, high) on mental effort, performance, and mental efficiency. Note taking during prior knowledge activation lowered mental effort and increased mental efficiency for high prior knowledge learners. For low prior knowledge learners, note taking had the opposite effect on mental effort and mental efficiency. The effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking are influenced by learners' level of prior knowledge. Learners with high prior knowledge benefit from taking notes while activating prior knowledge, whereas note taking has no beneficial effects for learners with limited prior knowledge.

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INQUIRY-BASED INSTRUCTION ON STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE AND READING ABILITIES

This study examined the differential impacts of an inquiry-based instruction on conceptual changes across levels of prior knowledge and reading ability. The instrument emphasized four simultaneously important components: conceptual knowledge, reading ability, attitude toward science, and learning environment. Although the learning patterns and effect size analyses indicated that students from all subgroups demonstrated substantial gains on weather concepts, students from the low prior conceptual knowledge group demonstrated greater gains in conceptual knowledge than subgroups with more prior knowledge; and these gains remained stable 3 weeks after the instruction ceased. However, students from the low language proficiency group showed the least gains in conceptual knowledge. Students’ prior knowledge and reading ability were found to be positively and significantly associated to conceptual development. Recent perspectives on the role of language in science education and suggestions that support learning during instruction are briefly described.

A computer game as a context for non-routine mathematical problem solving: The effects of type of question prompt and level of prior knowledge

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of type of question prompt and level of prior knowledge on non-routine mathematical problem solving. A computer game was blended within the pattern reasoning tasks, along with question prompts, in order to demonstrate and enhance the connections between viable problem-solving strategies and the content knowledge in a visible manner. Seventy-eight 9th graders from two classes in a public junior high school participated in the 6-week experimental instruction. Participants were randomly assigned to the specific-prompt group and the general-prompt group to receive the one-hour weekly treatment. The results revealed that (a) the interaction of question prompts and prior knowledge was not significant, and (b) for the problem-solving performances, the specific-prompt group outperformed the general-prompt group and the high prior-knowledge group outperformed the low prior-knowledge group. Further, students receiving specific prompts outperformed those receiving general prompts in the problem-solving performance: reasoning for two variables. Students with high prior knowledge outperformed those with low prior knowledge in the two problem-solving performances: reasoning for one variable and reasoning for two variables. It was also found that prior knowledge and comprehensive mathematical ability were important predictors for the two problem-solving performances: reasoning for one variable and reasoning for two variables. However question prompts and mathematics attitude were not significant predictors for predicting the problem-solving performance of reasoning for one variable. Lastly, implications for these results and recommendations for future research were discussed.

Supporting Student Conceptual Model Development of Complex Earth Systems Through the Use of Multiple Representations and Inquiry

Students organize scientific knowledge and reason about issues in the Earth sciences by manipulating internally-constructed mental models and socially-constructed, expressed, conceptual models. The Earth sciences, which focus on the study of complex, dynamic, Earth systems, may present unique cognitive difficulties to students in their development of authentic, accurate expressed conceptual models of these systems. This pilot study came about as we were seeking to construct inquiry modules to assist undergraduate students as they developed an understanding of eutrophication along the coastal margin, a good example of a complex, dynamic, environmental process. The modules we developed coupled the use of physical models and information technology (IT)-based multiple representations with an inquiry-based learning environment that allowed our students to develop and test their conceptual models based on available evidence and to solve authentic, complex, and ill-constrained problems. Our hypothesis was that the quality of students' conceptual models would predict their performance on inquiry modules, and that students' prior knowledge (measured by number of previous courses in geology) would mediate the strength of the relationship between students' model expression and their inquiry performance. Statistical results of this study indicated such a relationship existed only among students in the high prior knowledge group. In the light of our findings, we make recommendations for pedagogical accommodations to improve all undergraduates' abilities to understand complex, dynamic, environmental systems, with a particular emphasis on students who have lower levels of prior knowledge.

Embedded Clause Effects on Recall: Does High Prior Knowledge of Content Domain Overcome Syntactic Complexity in Students of Spanish?

This study tested the effect of embedded clauses on recall for English-speaking high school students reading Spanish historical texts. Twenty-four students with high prior knowledge of Incan history and 24 with low prior knowledge read texts concerning the Incas. Three levels of syntactic complexity were defined: Level I (LI) contained the essential ideas for the topic; Level II (LII) embedded one clause with nonessential information within LI sentences; and Level III (LIII) embedded an additional clause within LII sentences. A significant decrease in the recall of the essential propositions occurred as the level of syntactic complexity increased. Readers with high prior knowledge recalled significantly more of the essential information for LI and LII. However, recall scores for the essential propositions in LIII were nearly equal to those for the low prior-knowledge group. In conclusion, the study found that complexity of sentence structure seemed to cancel the advantage of previous exposure to the content domain.