Donald F. Dansereau

Multirelational semantic maps

Research on multirelational semantic maps is laden with promise for educational applications, but the development of knowledge mapping systems has been largely unsystematic. This paper describes the distinctive features of knowledge maps, discusses their origins, and explores some of the strengths and weaknesses of the wide variety of maps and mapping approaches that have been appearing in the literature over the past several years. Research findings pertaining to maps potential and actual uses in educational settings are summarized, with some indepth attention to the more programmatic efforts of Novak as well as to our own mapping system. Suggestions are made for future exploration of, and experimentation on, maps as unique tools for organizing, representing, and communicating a wide variety of knowledge domains.

Effects of Scripted Cooperation and Knowledge Maps on the Processing of Technical Material.

This study replicates and extends prior investigations of scripted cooperation and knowledge maps by examining (a) their independent and interactive effects on procedural knowledge acquisition and (b) the transfer of these effects to individual learning. The instrumental uses and limitations of knowledge maps are discussed

Knowledge Maps and the Presentation of Related Information Domains.

Abstract An experiment was conducted to assess the relative effectiveness of multiple-relationship knowledge maps and traditional text for the presentation of related information domains. A secondary purpose was to investigate comparative versus sequential presentations. Knowledge maps were found to be superior to traditional text in acquisition and affect associated with studying for one type of material. Moreover, students in the map groups reported gaining more knowledge about their information processing and study strategies that would help them in future learning than did those in the text groups. However, these results were not replicated with respect to a second sample of text on a different topic. Subject matter and structural parameters that might account for the inability to replicate the knowledge map effect across passages are identified.

Knowledge maps and information processing strategies

Abstract Prior research suggests students experience several problems when presented with spatial/verbal displays such as expert knowledge maps (k-maps). The present study examines the compensatory effects of a summarization strategy on expert k-map substitutes for text. Ninety-six subjects studied a science passage in text or k-map format using a summarization or reread strategy. Results indicated that k-maps and summarization had a positive effect on main idea recall, but no effect on the recall of detail ideas. Also, summarization appears to be an effective strategy for novice k-map readers.

Effects of communication aids and strategies on cooperative teaching

The purpose of this study was to extend the research on the use of communication aids (types of visual aids used by persons to communicate information to one another) and strategies for using communication aids during cooperative teaching. College students were the participants. One half studied a knowledge map (a multirelational semantic map that displays spatial distributions of verbal information), and one half studied a text. Within each half, one third used a communication aid and were given a strategy, one third used a communication aid without a strategy, and one third did not use a communication aid and were given no strategy

Learning concrete procedures: effects of processing strategies and cooperative learning

We examined the efficacy of a previously developed script for learning concrete procedures with more complex procedures than had previously been studied. The experiments examined the efficacy of peer cooperation in learning concrete procedures, the effects of learning about the necessary equipment prior to practicing the procedure, and the retention of procedural information over a 6-week delay. One hundred fourteen students participated in one of the following groups: no-script individuals, no-script dyads, simultaneous-script dyads, or successive-script dyads

Using Conceptual Matrices, Knowledge Maps, and Scripted Cooperation to Improve Personal Management Strategies.

Research in the area of substance abuse suggests that ineffective personal management strategies appear to be a major factor in abuse behavior. In this study, fifty-seven students in an intermediate level psychology class were provided with three tools previously found to enhance academic learning strategies—knowledge maps, scripted peer cooperation, and conceptual matrices—as a means of understanding and improving personal management strategies. Student ratings of the value of these activities were significantly higher than an average or moderate response. Individual differences appear to be an important consideration in predicting participants perceptions of the value of this approach. Those who felt they had control of whatever happens to them, and those who perceived problems as impactful and had strong desires to change recurring problem situations, had the most positive reactions to the types of activities used in this study.

Dyadic learning of technical material: Individual differences, social interaction, and recall

Abstract To examine the relationships among individual differences, interaction, and recall, students were paired with same-sex partners to read and study a passage describing a piece of technical equipment. This material included both procedural information (“how-to” statements) and structural/functional information (the organization and function of parts of the equipment). Both partners read the material, stopping periodically to summarize the information to one another. The verbal interactions of each of the pairs were audiotaped. Several individual difference measures were administered as well as free- and cued-recall tests over the studied material. Results revealed that verbal ability and field-independence were positively related to the recall of structural/functional information which included pictures of the equipment. Also, higher scores on a measure of “deep processing” (the ability to critically evaluate and compare and contrast information) facilitated the recall of procedural information. With regard to verbal interaction, it was found that those verbal utterances that were directly related to the content of the passage enhanced recall of the information presented visually. Several interpretations and implications of these results are discussed.

THE EFFECT OF TEXTUAL ERRORS ON DYADIC AND INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

The major objective of the present experiment was to assess the effects of textual errors on dyadic and individual learning. One hundred undergraduates were taught a four-step learning strategy, after which they studied a text passage either dyadically or individually. Half of the passages within both conditions contained syntactic errors. Total recall measures indicated that dyads performed better than individuals on recall of text in sections not containing errors, whereas the groups did not differ on recall of the material in text sections containing errors. Further, dyads outscored individuals on measures of recall of error location, error frequency, and perceived difficulty of the text sections which contained errors. In addition, subjective processing measures indicated that motivation and interest were strongly related to recall.

Effects of Cooperation and Editing on Instruction Writing Performance.

AbstractThe study examined the effects of editing and cooperation on an instruction writing task. Performance on an individual transfer task was also assessed. Eightynine students participated in the experiment. The students’ instructions were scored for communicativeness and completeness. The results of the study showed that dyads significantly outperformed individuals on a communication score and noneditors outperformed editors. Significant differences were also found for the completeness score with editors outperforming individuals on the first task. No significant differences on completeness were found for the transfer task.