Chaoyun Liang

Constructing and evaluating online goal-setting mechanisms in web-based portfolio assessment system for facilitating self-regulated learning

The purpose of the present study was to construct goal-setting mechanisms in a web-based portfolio assessment system (WBPAS), based on the self-regulated learning (SRL) process proposed by Zimmerman, and to examine effects of these mechanisms on SRL. The participants were two classes of 11th graders taking the website design class in a vocational high school. The participants were assigned randomly to either an experimental group (n = 40) learning with a WBPAS or a control group (n = 41) learning with a paper-based portfolio. The study results revealed the following: a) the quality of goal-setting mechanisms may facilitate SRL. b) Students setting learning goals with the WBPAS demonstrated significantly better SRL than students setting learning goals with the paper-based portfolio.

The mediating effects of generative cognition on imagination stimulation

This study, based in Taiwan, aims to explore what psychological factors influence imagination stimulation of education major students, and what the relationship is between these factors and imagination. Both principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to determine the most appropriate structure of the developed scales. The results of our study confirmed that imagination consists of nine characteristics: productivity, sensibility, intuition, transformation, novelty, exploration, crystallisation, effectiveness and elaboration. The psychological factors of imagination stimulation are composed of six factors: intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, stress, inspiration through action, emotion and generative cognition. Our results also indicated that there was a significant relationship between imagination and the above psychological factors. The structural model of the present study shows that intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy and emotion factors have significant and indirect effects on imagination stimulation; and that the generative cognition factor plays a mediating role between psychological factors and imagination.

Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure of the Imaginative Capability Scale.

Three studies were combined to test the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the imaginative capability scale (ICS). The ICS was a new self-report measure, which was developed to be empirically valid and easy to administer. Study 1 consisted in an exploratory factor analysis to determine the most appropriate structure of the ICS in a sample of 529 college students (serving as the calibration sample). A 3-factor solution was used to identify initiating, conceiving, and transforming dimensions of imaginative capability. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in Study 2 to confirm the established structure in a sample of 584 college students (serving as the validation sample). Both composite reliability and construct validity (including convergent validity and discriminant validity) analyses gave the instrument good support as a whole. Study 3 was conducted to further test the degree of measurement invariance of the ICS across 2 different groups. The first group consisted of 512 college students from design programs, whereas the second group was composed of 523 college students from engineering programs. The three-factor model of the ICS was confirmed across different domains among Taiwanese college students.

Predicting the creativity of design majors based on the interaction of diverse personality traits

In this study, design majors were analysed to examine how diverse personality traits interact and influence student creativity. The study participants comprised 476 design majors. The results indicated that openness predicted the originality of creativity, whereas openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness predicted the usefulness of creativity. Neuroticism moderated the effect of extraversion on the originality of creativity, and this moderating effect particularly benefitted to introverted student designers. Both conscientiousness and openness moderated the effects of agreeableness on the originality of creativity. Compared with the originality of students who exhibited low levels of agreeableness, the originality of agreeable students increased more rapidly in response to conscientiousness, but increased more slowly in response to openness. These results provide insight into the complexities of the personality–creativity structures of design majors and can serve as a reference regarding the project management and creative performance levels of design teams.

Is game-based learning better in flow experience and various types of cognitive load than non-game-based learning? Perspective from multimedia and media richness

The study examined differences on flow experiences and different kinds of cognitive loads (intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive loads) between game-based learning and non-game-based learning groups. Participants were students of two classes taking a general education course, named Life and Technology, in a university. There were a total of 103 participants in the experiment: 50 students in one class (experimental group) used game-based learning materials; 53 students in the other class (control group) used non-game-based learning materials (webpage-based learning material). The results revealed that the game-based learning group significantly created more flow experiences than the non-game-based learning group (p<0.01). The game-based learning group were significantly more interested, concentrated and able to control over their learning than the non-game-based learning group (p<0.05). The game-based learning group had significantly lower extraneous cognitive loads (p<0.05) and higher germane cognitive loads than the non-game-based learning group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in intrinsic cognitive loads between both groups. The relationships of flow experiences with intrinsic (r=0.239; p<0.05) and extraneous cognitive loads were negative (r=0.337; p=<0.01). The relationship between flow experiences and germane cognitive loads was positive (r=0.202; p<0.05). Suggestions for educators, learners and future studies were also elaborated in the paper. 103 participants, 50 students in experimental group.Game-based learning group significantly created more flow experiences.Game-based learning group had significantly lower extraneous cognitive loads.Flow experience is negatively correlated to intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads.Flow experience is positively correlated to germane cognitive load.

Using e-portfolios to elevate knowledge amassment among university students

The study aimed to explore the effect of e-portfolios on knowledge amassment. Participants were juniors majoring in multimedia design and taking the course Analysis on Digital Game Industry at a university. They were randomly selected and assigned to an experimental group with 43 students?or to a control group with 45 students. Students in the experimental group created their personal e-portfolios by using blogs, whereas students in the control group did not. The experiment lasted nine weeks, and took 3?h per week. The study results showed that the experimental group had significantly higher knowledge amassment after using e-portfolios than before. The experimental group had significantly better knowledge amassment than the control group did. This indicated that the effects of blog-based portfolios on knowledge amassment was significantly positive. Participants were juniors majoring in multimedia design and taking the course Digital Game.Experimental group had significantly higher knowledge amassment after using e-portfolios.Experimental group had significantly better knowledge amassment than the control group did.Effects of blog-based portfolios on knowledge amassment was significantly positive.

Learning in the visual association of novice and expert designers

Analyse differences between expert and novice designers engaging in visual association.Parallel activities in both hemispheres of the experts support their association tasks.The association engagement of the novices was mainly in their right hemispheres.The experts control their executive functions to determine future actions in the task.The novices mainly used memory retrievals to reinstate their familiar settings. Designers are adept at determining similarities between previously seen objects and new creations using visual association. However, extant research on the visual association of designers and the differences between expert and novice designers when they engage in the visual association task are scant. Using electroencephalography (EEG), this study attempted to narrow this research gap. Sixteen healthy designerseight experts and eight noviceswere recruited, and asked to perform visual association while EEG signals were acquired, subsequently analysed using independent component analysis. The results indicated that strong connectivity was observed among the prefrontal, frontal, and cingulate cortices, and the default mode network. The experts used both hemispheres and executive functions to support their association tasks, whereas the novices mainly used their right hemisphere and memory retrieval functions. The visual association of experts appeared to be more goal-directed than that of the novices. Accordingly, designing and implementing authentic and goal-directed activities for improving the executive functions of the prefrontal cortex and default mode network are critical for design educators and creativity researchers.

Does using e-portfolios for reflective writing enhance high school students’ self-regulated learning?

The study aims to examine whether reflective writing using e-portfolios enhances high school students’ self-regulated learning. Participants included two classes of eighth-graders majoring in Information Processing and taking a course called ‘Website Design’ at a vocational high school in Taiwan. There were 41 students, with 18 males and 23 females. The experiment lasted 10 weeks, and students used e-portfolios to reflect on their learning. The results showed that students after using e-portfolios to reflect on their learning had significantly better self-regulated learning than before. This indicates that using e-portfolios for reflection enhanced self-regulated learning. It also shows that high-reflection students had significantly better self-regulated learning than moderate-reflection and low-reflection students, which implies that reflective performance had a significantly positive effect on self-regulated learning.

Influence of Creativity and Social Capital on the Entrepreneurial Intention of Tourism Students

Regional knowledge coordination and the systematic promotion of rural culture using a combination of ecological advantages and environmental education are emerging topics in discussions on entrepreneurship. Considering that both creativity and social capital are critical factors for developing touristic activities, this study investigated their influences on the entrepreneurial intentions of tourism students in a metropolitan area, with the objective of contributing towards talent development in touristic entrepreneurship. A survey was administered at one university in Taiwan, and 213 valid subjects were analysed. The results first revealed that tourism students’ creativity was divided into two dimensions, namely originality and usefulness; that social capital could be categorised as being either bridging or bonding; and that entrepreneurial intention was divided into conviction and preparation. The results indicated that tourism students with higher levels of creativity showed stronger entrepreneurial intentions. The usefulness of creativity had a stronger influence on entrepreneurial conviction than on entrepreneurial preparation. In addition, bridgingbased social capital had a significant influence on the entrepreneurial conviction of tourism students. The results of this study may serve as a reference for tourism administrators in the development of strategies for human resources management, particularly in personnel selection and training.

The influence of perceived convenience and curiosity on continuance intention in mobile English learning for high school students using PDAs

Mobile learning aims to utilise communication devices such as mobile devices and wireless connection in combination with e-learning systems, allowing learners to experience convenient, instant and suitable learning at unrestricted time and place. Participants were 125 Taiwanese senior high school students, whose continuance intention was examined after learning English via PDAs (personal digital assistants). The study, using the one-group post-test design, adopted the Technology Acceptance Model and incorporated factors such as curiosity and perceived convenience. The results indicated that (1) curiosity had a positive effect on continuance intention; (2) perceived convenience had a positive effect on perceived usefulness and continuance intention.