Pavlo D. Antonenko

The influence of leads on cognitive load and learning in a hypertext environment

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of leads (or hypertext node previews) on cognitive load and learning. Leads provided a brief summary of information in the linked node, which helped orient the reader to the linked information. Dependent variables included measures of cognitive load: self-report of mental effort, reading time, and event-related desynchronization percentage of alpha, beta and theta brain wave rhythms; and learning performance: a recall task, and tests of domain and structural knowledge. Results indicated that use of leads reduced brain wave activity that may reflect split attention and extraneous cognitive load, and improved domain and structural knowledge acquisition. Further, findings provide insights into differentiating the types of cognitive load apparent in hypertext-assisted learning environments. Use of EEG measures allowed examination of instantaneous cognitive load, which showed that leads may be influencing germane load-reducing mental burden associated with creating coherence between two linked node. The self-report of mental effort measure appears more closely associated with overall and intrinsic load.

The impact of collaborative and individualized student response system strategies on learner motivation, metacognition, and knowledge transfer

This study investigated the impact of collaborative and individualized student response system-based instruction on learner motivation, metacognition, and concept transfer in a large-enrolment undergraduate science course. Participants in the collaborative group responded to conceptual questions, discussed their responses in small groups, and provided a revised response to the question (peer instruction [PI]). A comparison group provided individualized responses (IRs) to the same questions. Results of the motivation measure revealed a drop in confidence for students in both groups. This may be explained by a significant increase in the knowledge of cognition in both IR and PI groups, which likely mediated a recalibration of confidence to a lower, yet more realistic level. A significant interaction was found between gender and student response system strategy relative to the regulation of cognition, revealing that females improved in the PI group, while males reported improvement in the regulation of cognition in the IR group. A custom instrument was developed to measure near and far concept transfer abilities. The PI group scored significantly higher on the test of near transfer than the IR group.

Review: Narrowing gender-based performance gaps in virtual environment navigation

Virtual environments provide a model of the world that can simulate real spaces or represent new, previously unexplored worlds. Effective navigation within these virtual worlds is a key to user satisfaction and goal achievement. Empirical research, however, shows large differences in navigation performance due to gender. This paper presents conceptual background on the nature of the gaps and how navigation tools might reduce them. Patterns of findings for empirical studies published after the year 2000 provide insight into the performance gaps and potential mechanisms for their reduction. Proven relationships between performance improvement and use of navigation tools are yet to be established, so user testing remains critical. Potential new research can provide additional understanding of the nature of performance by gathering user behavior and cognitive rationale data, further investigating gender differences in visuospatial working memory capacity, and applying metacognitive training approaches used in other navigable media such as hypermedia.

A Multimethod Evaluation of Online Trust and Its Interaction with Metacognitive Awareness: An Emotional Design Perspective

Despite the rapidly increasing numbers of informational websites and learners using the World Wide Web to research topics, empirical evidence on the relationships between website design elements and website trustworthiness is scarce. This study used self-reported and behavioral screen-capture data to investigate the impact of Don Normans (2003) emotional design levels and metacognitive awareness on website trustworthiness during an information search learning task. The results suggest that the interaction effects of website visual appeal (visceral level) and website usability (behavioral level) can override the effects of the quality or relevance of the information (reflective level) on website evaluation. In addition, in the context of limited time to find the answers, these effects on the evaluation of website trustworthiness are not moderated by users’ metacognitive awareness.

Use of signaling to integrate desktop virtual reality and online learning management systems

Desktop virtual reality is an emerging educational technology that offers many potential benefits for learners in online learning contexts; however, a limited body of research is available that connects current multimedia learning techniques with these new forms of media. Because most formal online learning is delivered using learning management systems, it is important to consider how to best integrate the visually complex and highly concrete desktop virtual reality into more text-driven and abstract environments such as those found in learning managements systems. This review of literature examines recent signaling literature within the context of multimedia learning and hypermedia learning. Signaling is a technique that involves using cues to emphasize important information in materials (Mayer, 2009, pp. 108-117). The analysis concluded that the depth and breadth of signaling literature is severely lacking. While certain related bodies of literature can be used to inform signaling research in desktop virtual reality and online learning management systems, no studies were found that directly address these topics. This article makes several important contributions to the body of signaling literature. First, based on what is known through literature, this article is a first attempt at examining signaling as a technique for integrating desktop virtual reality with online learning management systems. Second, this analysis resolves an important gap in literature by differentiating between signaling and cueing. Third, this article provides a survey of recent signaling-related literature and identifies specific areas that inform future work with desktop virtual reality delivered using online learning management systems. Finally, a taxonomy for classifying multimedia and hypermedia is presented as a tool for more effectively describing interventions used in signaling research.

Understanding student pathways in context-rich problems

This paper describes the ways that students’ problem-solving behaviors evolve when solving multi-faceted, context-rich problems within a web-based learning environment. During the semester, groups of two or three students worked on five physics problems that required drawing on more than one concept and, hence, could not be readily solved with simple “plug-and-chug” strategies. The problems were presented to students in a data-rich, online problem-based learning environment that tracked which information items were selected by students as they attempted to solve the problem. The students also completed a variety of tasks, like entering an initial qualitative analysis of the problem into an online form. Students were not constrained to complete these tasks in any specific order. As they gained more experience in solving context-rich physics problems, student groups showed some progression towards expert-like behavior as they completed qualitative analysis earlier and were more selective in their perusal of informational resources. However, there was room for more improvement as approximately half of the groups still completed the qualitative analysis task towards the end of the problem-solving process rather than at the beginning of the task when it would have been most useful to their work.

Rapid digital game creation for broadening participation in computing and fostering crucial thinking skills

Computer games have a broad appeal that transcends gender, culture, age and socio-economic status. We outline the case for using rapid computer game creation as an innovative pedagogical approach for broadening participation in computing and fostering crucial thinking skills in the populace, thereby helping bridge the digital divide. Rapid computer game creation allows a designer without formal knowledge of programming to build games quickly. It involves the use of rapid prototyping tools to create objects with visual representations, assign properties to the object instances and define event-driven behaviours. We provide a theoretical basis for this approach, survey its use in the classroom, and study the relationship between rapid computer game creation and creative, critical and computational thinking.

Preservice teachers' perspectives on the definition and assessment of creativity and the role of web design in developing creative potential

This empirical study explores the perspectives of eight preservice teachers on the meaning and assessment of creativity and the role of web design in developing creative potential. Data sources included eight semi-structured interviews analyzed by three independent raters, web design checklists, and interviewer’s notes. Five themes emerged from participant responses during data analysis: a) definition of creativity, b) assessment of creativity, c) creativity and instructional strategies, d) creativity and problem solving, and e) creativity and web design. Web design is viewed as a process of ill-structured problem solving that educators can integrate in the curriculum to link content knowledge with the construction of a tangible product. Each of the web design steps, according to these preservice teachers, is important in developing and realizing the creative potential because they require comprehension, analysis, synthesis, application, and evaluation skills to create a unique product.

Implications of Neuroimaging for Educational Research

Neural functions are fundamental to learning, instruction, and performance. Although tremendous progress has been made in neuroscience in the past two decades, its applications in educational research are just beginning to be realized. This review focuses on selected technologies, methods, and findings from neuroscience that have important implications for educational sciences. Specifically, this chapter discusses conceptual and empirical research on the use, implications, and limitations of neuroimaging techniques such as continuous electroencephalography, event-related potentials, and functional magnetic resonance imaging in the domains of language and reading, mathematics learning, problem solving, cognitive load, and affective processes in learning. Neuroimaging has enabled scientists to open “the black box” of neural activity that underlies learning. It seems timely, therefore, to consider how educational researchers may employ the increased understanding of brain function to explore educational questions.

Two Heads Are Better than One: Inservice Teachers Engaging in Instructional Design 2.0.

Abstract This study investigated changes in inservice teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and technology integration self-efficacy as a result of engaging in collaborative instructional design with Web 2.0 tools. We collected survey and interview data in the pre/post format, and teaching portfolios served to triangulate survey and interview results. We observed improvements in both perceived technological pedagogical content knowledge and technology integration self-efficacy. Interestingly, the successes in implementing learning activities recorded in the teaching portfolios were attributed to the collaborative nature of instructional design, whereas the perceived weaknesses were attributed to personal planning skills. Although these findings cannot be generalized to the larger population, our results suggest that instructional design 2.0 can be a useful professional development activity for inservice teachers.