Cindy De Smet

The design and implementation of learning paths in a learning management system

Learning paths have the potential to play an important role in the way educators serve their learners. Empirical research about learning paths is scarce, particularly in a secondary education setting. The present quasi-experimental study took place in the context of a biology course involving 360 secondary school students. A 2 × 2 factorial research design was adopted. Learners were engaged in learning activities in a learning path. These learning activities (1) differed in design and (2) were either undertaken individually or collaboratively. Gender was considered as a critical co-variable, given the focus on science learning. All learning paths were developed on the basis of visual representations, but in the experimental design conditions, learners worked with learning paths designed according to Mayers multimedia guidelines (2003). Multilevel analyses were applied to study the impact on learning outcomes according to the design of learning paths, the individual/collaborative setting, and the co-variable gender. The study provides empirical evidence that both the design and the group setting (collaborative versus individual) have an impact on learning outcomes. Although there was no main effect, several significant interaction effects with gender were found. The results are helpful to direct research about the design and implementation of learning paths in a secondary school setting and underpin the relevance of representation modes in science learning.

Differential impact of learning path based versus conventional instruction in science education

Abstract Learning paths have the potential to change the teaching and learning interaction between teachers and students in a computer-supported learning environment. However, empirical research about learning paths is scarce. Previous studies showed that the low adoption of learning paths can be linked to the lack of knowledge on the part of teachers about learning path design and its implementation. In the present study, which was undertaken in the context of a biology course in secondary education, 496 14- to 15-years old secondary school students in Flanders were assigned to either learning path based or conventional instruction during classroom activities. The aim was to analyze the differential impact of the instructional formats on learning outcomes, considering variations in group setting and group composition. Given the focus on science learning, gender was also considered. Multilevel analysis was applied, and the results show empirical evidence for superior performance for both boys and girls in the learning path condition as compared with that in the conventional condition. In addition, when girls collaborate, they perform best within same-sex groups, whereas boys achieve better results in mixed-gender groups. The implications of the findings are important for tackling the gender gap in science learning. The findings can lead to guidelines for teachers who want to implement learning paths within an optimal learning environment design.