Dimitra Tsovaltzi

Learning from erroneous examples: when and how do students benefit from them?

We investigate whether erroneous examples in the domain of fractions can help students learn from common errors of other students presented in a computer-based system. Presenting the errors of others could spare students the embarrassment and demotivation of confronting their own errors. We conducted lab and school studies with students of different grade levels to measure the effects of learning with erroneous examples. We report results that compare the learning gains of three conditions: a control condition, an experimental condition in which students were presented with erroneous examples without help, and an experimental condition in which students were provided with additional error detection and correction help. Our results indicate significant metacognitive learning gains of erroneous examples for lower-grade students, as well as cognitive and conceptual learning gains for higher-grade students when additional help is provided with the erroneous examples, but not for middle-grade students.

A multi-dimensional taxonomy for automating hinting

Hints are an important ingredient of natural language tutorial dialogues. Existing models of hints, however, are limited in capturing their various underlying functions, since hints are typically treated as a unit directly associated with some problem solving script or discourse situation. Putting emphasis on making cognitive functions of hints explicit and allowing for automatic incorporation in a natural dialogue context, we present a multi-dimensional hint taxonomy where each dimension defines a decision point for the associated function. Hint categories are then conceived as convergent points of the dimensions. So far, we have elaborated four dimensions: (1) domain knowledge, (2) inferential role, (3) elicitation status, (4) problem referential perspective. These fine-grained distinctions support the constructive generation of hint specifications from modular knowledge sources.

CoChemEx: Supporting Conceptual Chemistry Learning Via Computer-Mediated Collaboration Scripts

Chemistry students, like students in other disciplines, often learn to solve problems by applying well-practiced procedures. Such an approach, however, may hinder conceptual understanding. We propose to promote conceptual learning by having pairs of students collaborate on problems in a virtual laboratory (VLab), assisted by a computer-mediated collaboration scriptthat guides the students through the stages of scientific experimentation and adaptsto their needs for support. We used the results from a small-scale study comparing how singles and dyads solve chemistry problems with the VLab with and without scripts to develop a scripted collaborative experimentation environment. A subsequent small-scale study compared an adaptive and a non-adaptive version of the system. Qualitative data analyses revealed a tendency for the dyads in the adaptive feedback condition to improve their collaboration and be more motivated than the non-adaptive dyads. In this paper, we present our research framework and report on preliminary results from the two small-scale studies.

Erroneous examples: effects on learning fractions in a web-based setting

Learning from errors can be a key 21st century competence, especially for informal learning where such metacognitive skills are a prerequisite. We investigate whether, how and when web-based interactive erroneous examples promote such competence, and increase understanding of fractions and learning outcomes. Erroneous examples present students with common errors or misconceptions. Three studies were conducted with students of different grade levels. We compared the cognitive, metacognitive, conceptual, and transfer learning outcomes of three conditions: a control condition (problem solving), a condition that learned with erroneous examples without help, and a condition that learned with erroneous examples with error detection and correction support. Our results indicate significant metacognitive learning gains of erroneous examples with help for 6th-graders. They also show cognitive and conceptual learning gains for 9th and 10th-graders when additional help is provided. No effects were found for 7th-graders. We discuss the implications of our findings for instructional design.

Erroneous Examples: A Preliminary Investigation into Learning Benefits

In this work, we investigate the effect of presenting students with common errors of other students and explore whether such erroneous examples can help students learn without the embarrassment and demotivation of working with ones own errors. The erroneous examples are presented to students by a technology enhanced learning (TEL) system. We discuss the theoretical background of learning with erroneous examples, describe our TEL setting, and discuss initial, small-scale studies we conducted to explore learning with erroneous examples.

Argument diagrams in facebook: facilitating the formation of scientifically sound opinions

Students use Facebook to organize their classroom experiences [1], but hardly to share and form opinions on subject matters. We explore the benefits of argument diagrams for the formation of scientific opinion on behaviorism in Facebook. We aim at raising awareness of opinion conflict and structuring the argumentation with scripts [2]. A lab study with University students (ten dyads per condition) compared the influence of argument structuring (students built individual argument diagrams before discussing in Facebook) vs. no argument structuring (only Facebook discussion) on opinion formation, measured through opinion change. The argumentation script was implemented in the web-based system LASAD to support sound argumentation [3].

Blending Facebook discussions into seminars for practicing argumentation

Facebooks self-regulated interactions can be fostered with apps for group awareness and argumentation.Group awareness tools (GATs) and scripts were combined to foster learning and attitude change in SNS.Long-term use of the GAT facilitated declarative knowledge and communication attitudes.The change towards multi-perspectivity correlates with declarative learning outcome. Social media like Facebook can blend classroom work with collaborative online learning. Different instructional approaches may support such online learning phases. Group awareness tools provide collaborating learners with additional information about the processes and the knowledge in the group and how these are distributed within a group to support the regulation of learning. Scripts are a form of external regulation of collaborative learning processes. Scripts may complement group awareness tools and promote active processing of the additional group information. In a 1×3 (group awareness tool with script vs. without script, and control group) quasi-experimental field study (N=63) we observed long-term effects of a group awareness tool and its combination with a script on processes and outcomes of argumentative learning in a seminar accompanied by Facebook discussions. In addition to domain-specific learning outcomes, this study explores attitude change as a potential outcome of prolonged periods of argumentative knowledge construction. Results showed a main effect of group awareness tools on declarative knowledge, but no significant effects on argumentative knowledge. Participants with group awareness tool (with script vs. without) attained an attitude which aligned with the learning goals. This attitude change partly correlates with the significantly higher learning outcomes on declarative knowledge.

Using an Adaptive Collaboration Script to Promote Conceptual Chemistry Learning

Chemistry students often learn to solve problems algorithmically, applying well-practiced procedures to problems. Such an approach may hinder development of conceptual understanding. We propose to promote conceptual learning by having pairs of students collaborate on problems in a virtual laboratory (VLab), assisted by a computer-mediated collaboration script that guides the students through the stages of scientific experimentation by adapting to a particular students (or dyads) skills. In this paper, we report on our early steps toward this goal, including technology development and an initial wizard-of-oz study.

Learning from erroneous examples

We present students with common errors of others in the context of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) We conducted two studies with students of different curriculum levels to measure the effects of learning through such erroneous examples We report that erroneous examples with additional support can assist lower curriculum level students develop better meta-cognitive skills.