Structure Of The Observed Learning Outcome Research Articles

Using deep learning-based artificial intelligence electronic images in improving middle school teachers' literacy.

With the rapid development of societal information, electronic educational resources have become an indispensable component of modern education. In response to the increasingly formidable challenges faced by secondary school teachers, this study endeavors to analyze and explore the application of artificial intelligence (AI) methods to enhance their cognitive literacy. Initially, this discourse delves into the application of AI-generated electronic images in the training and instruction of middle school educators, subjecting it to thorough analysis. Emphasis is placed on elucidating the pivotal role played by AI electronic images in elevating the proficiency of middle school teachers. Subsequently, an integrated intelligent device serves as the foundation for establishing a model that applies intelligent classification and algorithms based on the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO). This model is designed to assess the cognitive literacy and teaching efficacy of middle school educators, and its performance is juxtaposed with classification algorithms such as support vector machine (SVM) and decision trees. The findings reveal that, following 600 iterations of the model, the SVM algorithm achieves a 77% accuracy rate in recognizing teacher literacy, whereas the SOLO algorithm attains 80%. Concurrently, the spatial complexities of the SVM-based and SOLO-based intelligent literacy improvement models are determined to be 45 and 22, respectively. Notably, it is discerned that, with escalating iterations, the SOLO algorithm exhibits higher accuracy and reduced spatial complexity in evaluating teachers' pedagogical literacy. Consequently, the utilization of AI methodologies proves highly efficacious in advancing electronic imaging technology and enhancing the efficacy of image recognition in educational instruction.

Concept mapping and conceptual change texts: a constructivist approach to address the misconceptions in nanoscale science and technology

Nanoscale Science and Technology (NST) is a rapidly evolving field with profound implications for various industries and our everyday lives. However, misconceptions among learners can hinder their ability to grasp the fundamental concepts of NST, thereby impeding their potential contributions to this advancing domain. Concept maps (CM) and conceptual change texts (CCT) are graphical and written representations of knowledge that enable learners to visualize relationships between concepts and assess the coherence of their understanding. In this pursuit, we engage with the concept of rehabilitation for misconceptions, viewing the learning process as a transformative journey akin to cognitive rehabilitation. Through this CM-CCT constructivist approach, learners are encouraged to engage in critical reflection, self-questioning, and peer discussions, which facilitate the identification of misconceptions. Moreover, CM-CCT provide a structured framework for presenting accurate information about NST, offering a clear depiction of the hierarchical and interconnected nature of nanoscale phenomena. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CM-CCT in correcting the misconceptions of undergraduate university students regarding nanotechnology and the taxonomy of nonmaterial. Prior to the implementation of the CM-CCT, an assessment of pre-existing knowledge of the students was performed through the structure of the observed learning outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. A quasi-experimental research design was carried out. A total of 70 undergraduate university students, divided into two intact groups, were cross-examined for the study. Further, before and after the instructional tools, an achievement test based on nanotechnology and classification of nonmaterial was conducted, covering all six cognitive domains of the Bloom taxonomy of educational objectives. Data analysis revealed that the instructional tools based on constructivist approach had a statistically significant impact on students for elimination of their misconceptions about nanotechnology, nano science and classification of nonmaterial.

Assessment of Data Representation in Scratch Via the SOLO Taxonomy

The work addresses the significance of robotics in education, emphasizing its role in enhancing STEM skills through programming and sensory feedback. Scratch, a multimedia programming environment, is highlighted as a tool for robotic projects. Within Scratch, this work discusses data representation, distinguishing between visible and transparent data. The current work focuses on the visible data. Variables in Scratch are made tangible, helping users understand their function. Developers define their own data, such as values, variables, lists, and call parameters, while Scratch also provides system data. This system data can be numeric, alphanumeric, or logical, and its representation in code varies. To evaluate how data are used in Scratch by novice programmers, this work also proposes an evaluation framework using the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. This evaluation framework can be used by the teacher as a tool either to evaluate with measurable criteria the students’ code (on issues related to the way the data indicates their presence in Scratch) or to develop their personal teaching paths, thus creating mental scaffolds that assist students to master new knowledge.

The Use of SOLO Taxonomy in Medical Education Training for Medical Teachers

Medical teachers need training in medical education to improve their teaching skills, keep up with modern teaching methods, and promote student-centered learning. Multiple methods exist for training medical teachers in the area of medical education. The SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) taxonomy can be included in training medical teachers. The SOLO taxonomy has five levels, which is used as a framework for assessing depth of understanding and the complexity of a learner’s response to a question. Here, the author constructed two questions in the field of medical education and provided examples of answers related to each level of understanding in the SOLO taxonomy. A medical educator can employ the SOLO taxonomy to conduct a qualitative analysis of the level of understanding of medical teachers and can use this understanding to design training activities that promote higher levels of thinking and understanding. Additionally, the SOLO taxonomy can be used to improve the effectiveness of training strategies, as well as to provide targeted feedback to medical teachers.

A method for assessing students' interpretations of contextualized data.

Learning to interpret data in context is an important educational outcome. To assess students' attainment of this outcome, it is necessary to examine the interplay between their contextual and statistical reasoning. We describe a research method designed to do so. The method draws upon Toulmin's (1958, 2003) model of argumentation for the first stage of qualitative data analysis and the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) (Biggs & Collis, 1991) model for the second stage. Toulmin analyses help identify the justifications and expressions of uncertainty students provide in their interpretive arguments. Subsequent analyses based on the multi-modal conceptualization of SOLO help characterize the quality of student arguments relative to one another. Existing literature and an empirical example are drawn upon to explain how the Toulmin and SOLO models can be used in tandem to analyze students' interpretations of contextualized data. We also explain how pairing Toulmin and SOLO can address theoretical and practical limitations that arise when using just one of the two models on its own.

Applicability of ChatGPT in Assisting to Solve Higher Order Problems in Pathology.

Background Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving for healthcare services. Higher cognitive thinking in AI refers to the ability of the system to perform advanced cognitive processes, such as problem-solving, decision-making, reasoning, and perception. This type of thinking goes beyond simple data processing and involves the ability to understand and manipulate abstract concepts, interpret, and use information in a contextually relevant way, and generate new insights based on past experiences and accumulated knowledge. Natural language processing models like ChatGPT is a conversational program that can interact with humans to provide answers to queries. Objective We aimed to ascertain the capability of ChatGPT in solving higher-order reasoning in the subject of pathology. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on the internet using an AI-based chat program that provides free service for research purposes. The current version of ChatGPT (January 30 version) was used to converse with a total of 100 higher-order reasoning queries. These questions were randomly selected from the question bank of the institution and categorized according to different systems. The responses to each question were collected and stored for further analysis. The responses were evaluated by three expert pathologists on a zero to five scale and categorized into the structure of the observed learning outcome (SOLO) taxonomy categories. The score was compared by a one-sample median test with hypothetical values to find its accuracy. Result A total of 100 higher-order reasoning questions were solved by the program in an average of 45.31±7.14 seconds for an answer. The overall median score was 4.08 (Q1-Q3: 4-4.33) which was below the hypothetical maximum value of five (one-test median test p <0.0001) and similar to four (one-test median test p = 0.14). The majority (86%) of the responses were in the "relational"category in the SOLO taxonomy. There was no difference in the scores of the responses for questions asked from various organ systems in the subject of Pathology (Kruskal Wallis p = 0.55). The scores rated by three pathologists had an excellent level of inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.975 [95% CI: 0.965-0.983]; F = 40.26; p < 0.0001). Conclusion The capability of ChatGPT to solve higher-order reasoning questions in pathology had a relational level of accuracy. Hence, the text output had connections among its parts to provide a meaningful response. The answers from the program can score approximately 80%. Hence, academicians or students can get help from the program for solving reasoning-type questions also. As the program is evolving, further studies are needed to find its accuracy level in any further versions.

Is the Universe Infinite? Characterising a Hierarchy of Reasoning in Student Conceptions of Cosmology Concepts Using Open-Ended Surveys

Cosmology presents students with ideas that stimulate their curiosity and brings together various concepts from STEM that call on a variety of reasoning types across multiple representational modes, involving subtleties of spacetime relations, a variety of models and evidence requiring multiple lines of high precision observations. This study investigated high school students’ levels and types of reasoning that frame their conceptions in different cosmology topics. An open-ended knowledge survey, the Cosmology Knowledge Survey (CosmoKS), was developed and implemented online to 286 high school students (aged 16–18 years) from Australia and Sweden. A modified version of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy with four levels (pre-structural, uni-structural, multi-structural and relational) was used as a guide to analyse students’ open-ended and structured responses. This provided insights into the level and complexity of reasoning underpinning a variety of conceptions across the four dimensions of cosmology education: size and scale, spacetime location, composition of the universe and evolution of the universe. The study identified underlying patterns in student reasoning and conceptions in cosmology, summarised as (i) navigating spatial and temporal relations, (ii) counterintuitive concepts and (iii) language and everyday experience, especially intuition. The analysis led to the characterisation of a hierarchy of reasoning that helps identify sources of alternative conceptions and provided the basis for the development of a concept inventory and progression with broad implications.

Development and evaluation of an online course on nanotechnology for the professional development of chemistry teachers

ABSTRACT Professional development courses help teachers integrate new content knowledge into the high-school curriculum. Designing practical online courses for this purpose is challenging, particularly in emerging fields such as nanotechnology. In this study, we evaluated such a course in three complementary dimensions: (1) knowledge, (2) the complexity of learners’ understanding, and (3) learners’ difficulties during the course. We evaluated the first aspect using a pre–post-knowledge test, the second using the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy applied to the course's assignments, and the third by analyzing online activity reports and semi-structured interviews. Three cohorts comprising 95 teachers participated in this course from 2016 to 2019. Our multi-dimensional analysis revealed that teachers’ knowledge of nanotechnology concepts improved. They were able to connect the advanced content they learned to the high-school chemistry curriculum at different levels of complexity. The evaluation process also enabled us to identify difficult sections of the course. These findings can contribute to designing the curriculum of future professional development online science courses in terms of the intended learning outcomes.

Worked-examples instruction versus Van Hiele teaching phases: A demonstration of students’ procedural and conceptual understanding

This study explores the worked-example instruction (WEI) and the van Hiele teaching phases (VHTP) pedagogies to advance students’ acquisition of procedural and conceptual understanding of solving simultaneous equations. The quasi-experimental study involved two groups of high school students (age=15): 157 students in total with 72 in one group and 85 in the other. The study followed a pre-, post- and delay tests design. This study adapted two conceptual frameworks, the structure of the observed learning outcomes (SOLO) model and the Rasch model, and employed Rasch analysis and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) as data analysis tools. The results indicated that both WEI and VHTP improved students’ procedural and conceptual understanding of solving simultaneous equations at the post-test; however, the WEI effects (on both procedural and conceptual understanding) were not sustained after the post-test while the VHTP had a lasting effect on only conceptual understanding. Furthermore, the VHTP group significantly outperformed the WEI group at the post-test and delay test in both conceptual and procedural understanding. These results indicated that the WEI is only beneficial at the initial stage of knowledge acquisition and VHTP is better at the initial and long-term. Practical implications of these results were discussed.

Study on the Logical Reasoning Ability Development of Junior High School Students Based on SOLO Taxonomy

Logical reasoning ability, as a vital part of China’s mathematics curriculum objectives, is one of the key abilities that junior high school students should possess. SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) taxonomy is an analysis method pertaining to students’ response to a certain question. Based on SOLO taxonomy, this paper sets up an assessment scale that evaluates the logical reasoning ability level of junior high school students. After analyzing four specific cases, the paper obtains some enlightenment on mathematics teaching, which is supposed to help cultivate the logical reasoning ability of students in actual teaching.

Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) model: A mixed-method systematic review of research in mathematics education

The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) standard to search and report relevant articles on the use of SOLO model in mathematics. A systematic search was conducted in Education Source, ERIC, JSTOR, and PsycINFO databases and yielded 198 studies. After screening and appraisal, 62 papers (37 qualitative, 17 quantitative, and 8 mixed-method studies) published in English between 1990 and 2020 were reported using a narrative synthesis. The findings indicated that SOLO model appropriately reflects students' learning outcomes; there is a direct relationship between students’ performances and their SOLO levels; and SOLO model could explain several other developmental theories and contribute to the development of mathematics curricula. These findings highlight the gaps between theory and practice of this model in mathematics education, and informs education professionals about the diverse applications of the SOLO model for improving mathematics teaching and learning, fair assessment, and curriculum development.

Introducing conditional probability using the Monty Hall problem

This study developed a teaching module that incorporated the Monty Hall problem to introduce conditional probability in a college introductory statistics course. This teaching module integrated a guess – experiment – discussion approach with game-based instruction. The researchers piloted this module and made modifications. The work of 20 non-mathematics major undergraduate students was examined for changes in their perceptions about conditional probability through a pre-and-post survey design. The Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy was used for data analysis to show the quality of the student work. Findings suggest that most students’ perceptions were at higher levels after the teaching module.

The Statistical Reasoning Level of Chilean Students of Pedagogy in Mathematics on Statistical Hypotheses Tests

Background : There is a relationship between a country’s progress and the statistical formation of its citizens, where the statistical reasoning of mathematics teachers is crucial to increase this relationship. Objective : To determine the level of statistical reasoning on hypothesis tests of future Chilean mathematics teachers. Design : The methodology used is a quantitative transectional approach. The SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) taxonomy was used to characterise the pre-service teachers’ level of knowledge of the main concepts of hypothesis testing. Settings and participants : Chilean students from V to VIII level of Pedagogy in Mathematics who passed the statistics subjects of the formative itinerary, subjects that include the topic of hypothesis testing. Data collection and analysis : Through a consecutive non-probabilistic sampling and an instrument previously validated by expert judges, a sample made up of 29 of 43 pre-service teachers was analysed, obtaining a representation of 67% of the target population. Result : There was enough evidence to affirm that the per-service teachers’ statistical reasoning is in prestructural and unistructural levels of the SOLO taxonomy regarding their knowledge of the statistical hypothesis tests. Conclusion : It is necessary to correct this situation by means of remedial tools before those students graduate and begin teaching.

Digital storytelling as a disciplinary literacy enhancement tool for EFL students

This research compared the process of disciplinary literacy acquisition of students who experienced two different pedagogical approaches to learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics through astronomy (STEM-A). The objective of this study was to explore the impact of a digital storytelling (DST) educational technology intervention in a STEM-A context on the process of disciplinary literacy acquisition of students who were learning English as a foreign language (EFL). The research was designed as a type IV case study with a sample of 30 students from Kyrgyzstan aged between 12 and 16 years. Data were collected from written responses to the astronomy diagnostic tests (ADT), which were coded against the structure of the observed learning outcomes (SOLO) and analysed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures on the occasion of testing. Data from the Australian sample, native speakers of English, (N = 328) were used as a baseline. The results showed a positive effect of the DST intervention on EFL students’ astronomy disciplinary literacy acquisition. The research contributes to the body of knowledge on educational technology by exemplifying how the DST teaching intervention could bridge the gap between EFL and non-EFL students’ disciplinary literacy acquisition in STEM areas.

SOLO taxonomy as EFL students\u2019 disciplinary literacy evaluation tool in technology-enhanced integrated astronomy course

Whilst the role of disciplinary literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is becoming more prominent, there appears to be little adaptation or allowance made for English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL) students learning science in English, as well as no clear understanding of what comprises disciplinary literacy in science. In this article, we define the construct of disciplinary literacy in science education and justify the use of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy (Biggs and Collis, Teaching for quality learning at university 1982) as a tool for measuring EFL students’ disciplinary literacy development. This SOLO taxonomy was trialled in a STEM integrated astronomy course enhanced with a digital storytelling approach. Data were collected from adolescent EFL students’ written responses in their pre- and post-Astronomy Diagnostic Test. The results show a positive change in participants’ science disciplinary literacy development and contribute to the understanding of the EFL/ESL students’ science disciplinary literacy development and assessment.

SOLO-based task to improve self-evaluation and capacity to integrate concepts in first-year physiology students

An accurate self-assessment of student work can enhance student learning and subsequently improve academic performance. Instructors can facilitate this process by providing "standards" that students can utilize as feedback when self-evaluating their understanding. Traditional forms of feedback, such as marked assessment tasks, are limited in their ability to serve as standards, as they do not adequately capture variations corresponding to different levels of understanding. To develop a complex understanding in physiology, students have to integrate concepts pertaining to different subcomponents of body systems. The present study attempted to ascertain if exposing students to variations in complexity would refine their ability to self-evaluate their understanding and capacity to integrate concepts. Students were tasked to answer an essay-length, open-ended physiology question to expose their current understanding of the topic. The change in students' self-marking of their answer before and after being exposed to the variations in conceptual understanding of the topic were used to determine whether improvements in self-evaluation accuracy occurred. These variations were presented as instructor-generated answers to the open-ended question, framed using the structure of the observed learning outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. Student scores in the integrative questions of the end-of-semester exam were used as a measure of student ability to integrate concepts. Findings indicated that this intervention led to improvements in student self-evaluation and exam performance, and the positive outcomes were replicated across multiple iterations of the activity.

An analysis of students’ mathematical reasoning ability in statistic problem solving based on structure of the observed learning outcome taxonomy

This research was done to describe students’ ability toward mathematical reasoning in solving statistics test within mean material based on structure of the observed learning outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. There were two participants in this research who have the highest score and the average score. This research was used descriptive qualitative. The collecting data in this research were got from students’ answer sheets and interview. Each question in the test was made based on the indicator in stages of SOLO taxonomy. The interview guidelines used in this test was adapted from the list of questions in Newman analysis procedure. The collected data were analyzed by using qualitative analysis technique, particularly the model of interactive analysis technique. The result shows that the high achiever student stands in the extended abstract stage in SOLO taxonomy when solving the statistics test within mean material, meanwhile the other student belongs to the multi-structural stage of SOLO taxonomy when solving the question about mean.

Investigation of Students’ Holistic and Analytical Thinking Styles in Learning Environments assisted with Dynamic Geometry Software

The purpose of this study was to investigate the analytical and holistic thinking styles of 7 th grade students who were taught polygons in a learning environment assisted with a dynamic geometry software (DGS) by using the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. The study employed a qualitative action research design. The study group was composed of 16 seventh grade students. “The Problem-Solving Holistic and Analytical Thinking Scale” was administrated to determine whether students were analytical or holistic thinkers. In addition, the Level Assessment Examination was administrated to reveal students’ levels of comprehension of polygons. A three-week implementation was put into practice with the activities developed for the computer environment created by using the Geogebra software for the sub-learning domain of polygons. Following the applications, the Level Assessment Examination was administrated. In addition, the diaries were collected to determine students’ opinions on this learning environment. Students’ diaries were analyzed by performing content analysis. The data obtained from the Preliminary and Final Level Assessment Examinations were analyzed based on the the SOLO taxonomy. The results of the study revealed that the learning environment assisted with DGS had a positive effect on the learning processes of both analytical and holistic thinkers. Although the learning environment assisted with DGS demonstrated that students of either thinking style had upper-level responses in the solo taxonomy analysis, it has been determined that this dynamic environment did not account for any variation among students’ thinking styles. It is recommended that such well-structured learning environments should be designed to provide students with different thinking styles and the ability to act in accordance with their own strategies.

Critical Thinking and Physics Concepts: Indicators for General Education Science Course Assessment

Abstract Demonstrating knowledge of major concepts and critical thinking are common learning outcomes for general education courses, especially in the sciences. Although numerous valid and reliable measures of conceptual understanding exist, the determination of critical thinking level is often more difficult, subjective, and domain-specific. This study investigates the relationship between domain-specific critical thinking and the learning of force and motion concepts within laboratory activities in a first semester, non-calculus college physics course. Regression analyses were used while controlling for age, prior physics coursework, and the conceptual understanding pretest score. Conceptual understanding was measured using the valid and reliable Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). Critical Thinking (CT) was determined using the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric (HCTSR) and the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) Taxonomy. The results indicate that students' CT has a significant correlation with their learning of force and motion concepts. In other words, students who demonstrate a Newtonian view of force and motion also demonstrate higher levels of CT. Thus, FMCE post-test scores could be used as a proxy for students' CT measurements within a first semester physics course. Additionally, the preference of the SOLO Taxonomy is based on ease of use and estimates of inter-rater reliability.

Assessing the Alignment of Pharmacotherapeutics Course Outcomes With Topic Outcomes

Objective. To determine the level of alignment between course and topic outcomes of a third- and fourth-year pharmacotherapy curriculum. Methods. Each topic taught in each course was categorized into subtopics and each subtopic had a set of learning outcomes. The learning outcomes for the courses and subtopics were matched to examine alignment. Cognitive levels were categorized using the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy of prestructural, unistructural, multistructural, relational, or extended abstract. The types of knowledge that the curriculum was intended to instill also were categorized as declarative or functioning. Results. There were eight explicit course outcomes for each course and 140 subtopic outcomes for course 1 and 136 for course 2. Wide variations in alignment between the courses and subtopic outcomes were found. Issues identified included the use of redundant verbs and insufficient alignment and balance of cognitive levels and types of knowledge embedded in each outcome. Conclusion. Alignment between the course and subtopic outcomes was not optimal. Using a constructive alignment analysis, learning outcome issues that need improvement for course alignment were identified. The methodology used here can be applied to other courses to promote effective curriculum design.