Gregory Trevors

Using Trace Data to Examine the Complex Roles of Cognitive, Metacognitive, and Emotional Self-Regulatory Processes During Learning with Multi-agent Systems

This chapter emphasizes the importance of using multi-channel trace data to examine the complex roles of cognitive, affective, and metacognitive (CAM) self-regulatory processes deployed by students during learning with multi-agent systems. We argue that tracing these processes as they unfold in real-time is key to understanding how they contribute both individually and together to learning and problem solving. In this chapter we describe MetaTutor (a multi-agent, intelligent hypermedia system) and how it can be used to facilitate learning of complex biological topics and as a research tool to examine the role of CAM processes used by learners. Following a description of the theoretical perspective and underlying assumptions of self-regulated learning (SRL) as an event, we provide empirical evidence from five different trace data, including concurrent think-alouds, eye-tracking, note taking and drawing, log-files, and facial recognition, to exemplify how these diverse sources of data help understand the complexity of CAM processes and their relation to learning. Lastly, we provide implications for future research of advanced leaning technologies (ALTs) that focus on examining the role of CAM processes during SRL with these powerful, yet challenging, technological environments.

Identity and Epistemic Emotions During Knowledge Revision: A Potential Account for the Backfire Effect

Recent research has shown that for some topics, messages to refute and revise misconceptions may backfire. The current research offers one possible account for this backfire effect (i.e., the ironic strengthening of belief in erroneous information after an attempted refutation) from an educational psychology perspective and examines whether emotions mediate the relationship between self-concept and learning from refutation texts. In an experimental design, 120 undergraduate students responded to a questionnaire focused on their dietary self-concept and were randomly assigned to read an expository or refutation text on the topic of genetically modified foods. Immediately after reading, participants self-reported their emotions followed by completing post-test measures of their knowledge and attitudes of the topic. Results showed an interaction between self-concept and text condition on emotions wherein self-concept predicted negative emotions (i.e., confusion, anxiety, frustration) while reading a refutation text specifically. Further, negative emotions significantly mediated relations between self-concept and post-test knowledge and attitudes. Implications for educational design and future research are discussed.

Testing the TIDE: Examining the Nature of Students’ Epistemic Beliefs Using a Multiple Methods Approach

The purpose of this study was to empirically scrutinize Muis, Bendixen, and Haerles (2006) Theory of Integrated Domains in Epistemology framework. Secondary, college, undergraduate, and graduate students completed self-reports designed to measure their domain-specific and domain-general epistemic beliefs for mathematics, psychology, and general knowledge, respectively. Following completion of the questionnaires, students participated in an interview that further probed their epistemic beliefs to better understand the nature of their beliefs. Results from our study suggest students’ beliefs across domains are somewhat related but still unique to that particular domain. Moreover, analysis of the interviews revealed that students espouse general knowledge beliefs and domain-specific beliefs. Interestingly, students expressed absolutist beliefs about mathematics, but were multiplist in their stances toward psychology and general knowledge. When asked to provide examples that came to mind when reporting their beliefs, students frequently drew on their classroom experiences to explain why they held specific beliefs. We discuss theoretical implications.

Effects of text structure, reading goals and epistemic beliefs on conceptual change

We investigated the online and offline effects of learner and instructional characteristicson conceptual change of a robust misconception in science. Fifty-nine undergraduateuniversity students with misconceptions about evolution were identified as espousingevaluativist or non-evaluativist epistemic beliefs in science. Participants were randomlyassigned to receive a traditional or refutational text that discussed a misconception inevolution and a general comprehension or elaborative interrogation reading goal.Participants’ cognitive and metacognitive processes while readingwere measured usinga think-aloud protocol. Postreading, participants’ correct and incorrect conceptualknowledge were separately assessed with a transference essay. Results showed that textstructure and reading goals affected cognitive conflict, coherence-building andelaborative processing while reading and promoted correct conceptual knowledgeincluded in essays but failed to affect the inclusion of misconceptions. Further,participants with evaluativist epistemic beliefs engaged in fewer comprehensionmonitoring processes and were more likely to adapt their coherence-building processesaccording to reading goals than their non-evaluativist counterparts, but epistemic beliefgroups did not differ in the content of the posttest essay. Theoretical and educationalimplications of these findings are discussed.Students encounter and study complex and often counterintuitive science concepts throughouttheir educational careers. Increasingly, such science concepts such as evolutionary medicineand the global carbon cycle are playing a signi ficant role in students’ reasoning about personaland global issues. Therefore, how students manage the complexity of these concepts and theiroften inaccurate prior knowledge is unquestionably vital. Often, to successfully learn thesescience concepts requires students to undertake a challenging process: revising intuitive butinaccurateknowledgetowardsscientificallyvalidknowledge,referredtoasconceptualchange.We examine the possibility of conceptual change occurring on robust misconceptionsabout biological evolution, a foundational yet difficult science concept, within the contextof text-based instruction. As Sinatra and others have described (Dole & Sinatra, 1998;Limon, 2001; Sinatra, 2005; Sinatra & Pintrich, 2003), the traditional approach to text-based conceptual change research has been to induce cognitive conflict, which is viewedas a necessary but insufficient step to achieve change. Sinatra and Pintrich (2003) haveargued that conceptual change remains an unlikely outcome of instruction even whenenvironments are designed to promote knowledge restructuring. Therefore, in the currentstudy, we examine additional variables that theoretically support other cognitive and

Emotion Processes in Knowledge Revision

ABSTRACT In recent years, a number of insights have been gained into the cognitive processes that explain how individuals overcome misconceptions and revise their previously acquired incorrect knowledge. The current study complements this line of research by investigating the moment-by-moment emotion processes that occur during knowledge revision using a think-aloud methodology. Undergraduate students read both refutation and nonrefutation texts and reported out loud their thoughts, which were coded along valence and activation dimensions of emotions. Results showed that at key points during reading, emotions differed within and between experimental text conditions. Further, exploratory mediational analysis showed that surprise was an influential emotion for learning. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical contributions to our basic understanding of the role of emotions during knowledge revision.

Deriving Empirically-Based Design Guidelines for Advanced Learning Technologies that Foster Disciplinary Comprehension / Définir des lignes directrices fondées sur des données empiriques pour les technologies d’apprentissage avancé qui favorisent la compr

Planning, conducting, and reporting leading-edge research requires professionals who are capable of highly skilled reading. This study reports the development of an empirically informed computer-based learning environment designed to foster the acquisition of reading comprehension strategies that mediate expertise in the social sciences. Empirical data were gathered in a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design that examined the reading comprehension strategies used by an expert social scientist while reading a professional-level text. Process data were collected through a concurrent think-aloud protocol and coded according to reading comprehension processes. We combined both quantitative and qualitative analyses to identify, describe, and explain patterns in the expert’s use of reading strategies. Our findings indicate that highly-skilled reading is characterized by critiquing text information, relating information to prior knowledge, and evaluating one’s own understanding of text information. Findings are used to inform the design of worked-examples and a pedagogical agent embedded within the Highly-Skilled Reading Tutor. Le type de planification, de realisation et l’analyse qui caracterise une recherche d’avant-garde necessite des professionnels en mesure d’effectuer des lectures hautement specialisees. La presente etude dresse un rapport sur l’elaboration d’un milieu d’apprentissage informatise concu pour favoriser l’acquisition de strategies de comprehension en lecture permettant d’assurer la transmission des connaissances specialisees en sciences sociales. La collecte de donnees empiriques s’est effectuee suivant une conception sequentielle explicative fondee sur une methode mixte, qui etudiait les strategies de comprehension de lecture utilisees par un expert en sciences sociales lors de sa lecture d’un texte de calibre professionnel. La collecte des donnees sur le processus s’est effectuee suivant un protocole concurrent de reflexion a haute voix, et les donnees ont ete codees conformement aux processus de comprehension de la lecture. Nous avons combine les analyses quantitatives et qualitatives afin d’identifier, decrire et expliquer les tendances de cet expert dans l’utilisation des strategies de lecture. Nos resultats indiquent que la lecture hautement specialisee se caracterise par la critique des informations presentees dans le texte, la mise en relation des informations presentees et des connaissances anterieures et l’autoevaluation de la comprehension de ces informations. Les resultats obtenus sont utilises pour formuler des exemples faconnes et creer un agent pedagogique integre au Tuteur de lecture hautement specialisee.

Are intelligent pedagogical agents effective in fostering students' note-taking while learning with a multi-agent adaptive hypermedia environment?

The effectiveness of intelligent virtual pedagogical agents (IVAs) at fostering adaptive note-taking strategies in a hypermedia learning environment was examined. Sixty college students participated in experimental learning sessions with four IVAs. Results revealed the presence of IVAs significantly decreased measurements of quantity and quality of notes. Recommendations are discussed for improving agent design in supporting adaptive note-taking behaviours.