A Five-Stage Prediction-Observation-Explanation Inquiry-Based Learning Model to Improve Students’ Learning Performance in Science Courses

This study employed eye-tracking technology to examine how students with different levels of prior knowledge process text and data diagrams when reading a web-based scientific report. Students’ visual behaviors were tracked and recorded when they read a report demonstrating the relationship between the greenhouse effect and global climate change in 2 diagrams and 4 textual sections. Based on the pretest scores, 13 participants were categorized into high and low prior knowledge (PK) groups. Eye-tracking measures including the total reading time, total fixation duration, and total regression number on each area of interest of the 2 groups were compared. A heat map was further used to show the overall visual distribution of each group. In addition, the inter-scanning transitions between the textual and graphical information of the 2 groups were compared and further confirmed by the patterns of the scan paths. The results revealed that overall students spent more time reading the textual than the graphical information. The high PK students showed longer fixation durations and more regressions on the graphics than the low PK students. Meanwhile, the high PK students showed more inter-scanning transitions than the low PK students not only between the text and graphics but also between the 2 data diagrams. This suggests that the high PK students were more able to integrate text and graphic information and inspect scientific data which is essential for online inquiry learning. This study provides eye-tracking evidence to show that low PK students have difficulties integrating scientific diagrams with expository texts and inspecting scientific data diagrams that are commonly shown in websites. Suggestions are made for future studies and instructional design for online inquiry-based science learning.

The purpose of this study was to examine how prior knowledge of cellular transport influenced how high school students in the USA viewed and interpreted graphic representations of this topic. The participants were Advanced Placement Biology students (n = 65); each participant had previously taken a biology course in high school. After assessing prior knowledge using the Diffusion and Osmosis Diagnostic Test, two graphical representations of cellular transport processes were selected for analysis. Three different methods of data collection—eye tracking, interviews, and questionnaires—were used to investigate differences in perceived salient features of the graphics, interpretations of the graphics, and processing difficulty experienced while attending to and interpreting the graphics. The results from the eye tracking data, interviews, and instructional representation questionnaires were triangulated and revealed differences in how high and low prior knowledge students attended to and interpreted particle differences, concentration gradient, the role of adenosine triphosphate , endocytosis and exocytosis, and text labels and captions. Without adequate domain knowledge, low prior knowledge students focused on the surface features of the graphics (ex. differences in particle colour) to build an understanding of the concepts represented. On the other hand, with more abundant and better‐organised domain knowledge, high prior knowledge students were more likely to attend to the thematically relevant content in the graphics, which enhanced their understanding. The findings of this study offer a more complete understanding of how differentially prepared learners view and interpret graphics and have the potential to inform instructional design.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of: (1)the problem-based learning (PBL) method; (2)the direct teaching method; (3)the PBL method compared with the direct teaching method, for the low prior knowledge students; (4)the PBL method compared with the direct teaching method, for the high prior knowledge students. This research is a quasi experimental with the pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design. The independent variabel was teaching method, the score on pre-test as a covariate, and the students. achievement as the dependent variable. The research population comprised year XI students of the Light Vehicle Engineering SMK Muhammadiyah Prambanan, totaling 137 students, divided into four classes. This study used a sample of two XI classes, totaling 64 students. The instrument was an achievement test in the multiple-choice form. The validation was conducted by analyzing the validity of the test items, difficulty level, discrimination index, and the functioning of the detractors. The result was that the 40 items used were all valid and the reliability was high (á=0.921). The data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). This study conclude that, in the competence of repairing the cooling system by considering the students' score on pre-test as prior knowledge: (1) on the whole, the PBL method is more effective than the direct teaching methods, (2) the students who have high prior knowledge are more effective to be taught using the PBL method than the direct teaching method, (3) the students who have low prior knowledge are not difference in effectiveness to be taught using the PBL method and the direct teaching method, and (4) there is no difference in effectiveness between low prior knowledge students and high prior knowledge students who were taught using the PBL method.

We examine the use of computer-based learning in the classroom and the effect of immediate feedback on student performance. Since it is well known in educational research that it is possible to observe a “Matthew Effect” in which the rich get richer, we wanted to see if feedback was useful for low prior knowledge students, as defined by students whose pretest score was at or below the median. In this counterbalanced randomized controlled trial, 243 tenth and eleventh grade mathematics students were exposed to one of two conditions, as we measured their learning from: 1) immediate feedback (where the computer told them correctness and they could also ask for hints) or 2) practice only (where they received feedback only after taking a posttest). Results suggest that immediate feedback from computer-based learning tasks benefit both high and low prior knowledge students, with low prior knowledge students exhibiting greater gains. The implications of these findings support further investigation into the use of computer-based learning tasks that provide immediate feedback.

Linking Dialogue with Student Modelling to Create an Adaptive Tutoring System for Conceptual Physics

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of signaling and prior knowledge on the cognitive loads, motivations, and learning of college students in an immersive virtual reality (IVR) environment. This study applied a 2 (signaling vs. no signaling) by 2 (high vs. low prior knowledge levels) between-subjects factorial design. The results revealed that signaling directed the attention of students with low prior knowledge levels, effectively helped them select relevant information and reduced their cognitive loads, whereas signaling had no significant effect on the cognitive loads, intrinsic motivation, and learning performance of learners with high levels of prior knowledge. These results suggest that IVR environments for students with low prior knowledge levels should reduce cognitive load and improve learning, and signals in the form of text annotations and color changes are recommended for additional support. Students with high prior knowledge levels do not require additional signals to support learning; therefore, the IVR environment needs to be designed in such a way as to be tailored to the individual differences of students.

An optimized group formation scheme to promote collaborative problem-based learning

This chapter proposes the hybrid inquiry-based learning (HIBL) model, a novel pedagogical model based on inquiry-based learning (IBL). In IBL, learning is achieved by questioning and learners are encouraged to invent new hypotheses instead of investigating questions posed by the instructor. This chapter first provides a holistic description of IBL. It begins with a brief history and survey on learning perspectives, pedagogical background of IBL is also provided. The IBL model, its implementations and variations, as well as the comparison of its pedagogical features against traditional teaching approaches are also given. This chapter further contributes the hybrid inquiry-based learning (HIBL) model, a new IBL model that integrates traditional and ICT-based implementations of IBL. By leveraging on the advantages of both classroom-based and web-based learning, the best sides of IBL can be elicited. A detailed example in Information Security education is also provided to illustrate the HIBL model.

Prior knowledge activation facilitates learning. Note taking during prior knowledge activation (i.e., note taking directed at retrieving information from memory) might facilitate the activation process by enabling learners to build an external representation of their prior knowledge. However, taking notes might be less effective in supporting prior knowledge activation if available prior knowledge is limited. This study investigates the effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking depending on learners' level of prior knowledge. It is hypothesized that the effectiveness of note taking is influenced by the amount of prior knowledge learners already possess. Sixty-one high school students participated in this study. A prior knowledge test was used to ascertain differences in level of prior knowledge and assign participants to a low or a high prior knowledge group. A 2×2 factorial design was used to investigate the effects of note taking during prior knowledge activation (yes, no) depending on learners' level of prior knowledge (low, high) on mental effort, performance, and mental efficiency. Note taking during prior knowledge activation lowered mental effort and increased mental efficiency for high prior knowledge learners. For low prior knowledge learners, note taking had the opposite effect on mental effort and mental efficiency. The effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking are influenced by learners' level of prior knowledge. Learners with high prior knowledge benefit from taking notes while activating prior knowledge, whereas note taking has no beneficial effects for learners with limited prior knowledge.

Many research indicates that the integration of mobile learning environment can effectively enhance students' motivation for learning. However, instructors adopt appropriate learning strategies is the main factor to help students improve their learning performance. The study expected the Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) teaching strategies in mathematics teaching has significant effects on learning effectiveness and retention. Few studies have explicitly incorporated the POE strategy and collaborative learning approach with mobile learning environment in elementary students' mathematics learning. The 41 fifth graders who participate in this research are assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The students in the experimental group will learn through the POE teaching strategy combined with the collaborative learning approach; while those who participant in control group will learn mathematics through the POE teaching strategy only. The aim of this research focuses on the effects of the POE strategy and collaborative learning approach with mobile learning environment on students' learning achievements, learning attitude, and self-efficacy of mathematics.

ABSTRACTDrawing on cognitive theories, this study intends to investigate the effects of explicit visual cues which have been proposed as a critical factor in facilitating understanding of biological images. Three diagrams from Taiwanese textbooks with implicit visual cues, involving the concepts of biological classification systems, fish taxonomy, and energy pyramid, were selected as the reading materials for the control group and reformatted in tree structure or with additional arrows as the diagrams for the treatment group. A quasi-experiment with an online reading test was conducted to examine the effect of the different image conditions on reading comprehension of the two groups. In total, 192 Taiwanese participants from year 7 were assigned randomly into either control group or treatment group according to the pre-test of relevant prior knowledge. The results indicated that not all explicit visual cues were significantly efficient. Only the explicit tree-structured diagrams cued significantly the key concepts of qualitative class-inclusion, parallel relations, and fish taxonomy. Meanwhile the effect of indexical arrows was not significant. The inconsistent effect of tree structure and arrows might be related to the extent of image reformation in which the tree-structured diagrams had undergone radical change of knowledge representation; meanwhile, the arrows had not changed the diagram structure of energy pyramid. The factor of prior knowledge was essential in considering the influence of image design as the effect of diagrams was very different for low and high prior knowledge students. Implications are drawn for the importance of visual design in textbooks.

A wealth of researches has indicated that retrieval practice can be used as an effective means to improve memory. Recently the effects of retrieval practice have captured the attention of contemporary researchers who are interested in educational applications of retrieval practice. Some researchers have examined the effectiveness of retrieval practice relative to elaborative studying with concept mapping, and found that practicing retrieval produces greater gains in meaningful learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping which has received comment and query by researchers advocating constructivism who thought, compared with practice retrieval, concept mapping is too complex to master. In view of these criticism, the current research examined the effectiveness of retrieval practice and concept mapping from the perspective of cognitive load, it is hypothesized that the intrinsic load of study task which depends on learners’ prior knowledge level has different influence on retrieval practice and concept mapping, and the concept mapping strategy is more complex than retrieval practice, so it could produce more extraneous load on learner and influence the effectiveness. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. In experiment 1, 120 college students were engaged in a 2 (prior knowledge level: high vs. low) × 3 (study strategy type: retrieval practice vs. concept mapping and repeated study) between-subjects design of experiment, which was aimed to study the different influence of prior knowledge level on the effectiveness of three types of strategies. In experiment 2, 43 college students participated in a within-subjects design of experiment, each student completed a partial concept mapping of one science text and practiced retrieval of a second text which was designed to study the influence of strategy’s complexity on strategy’s effectiveness. The results indicated that on correct rate of memory retention and transfer, the main effect of prior knowledge level wasn't significant, but there was an interaction between learning strategies and prior knowledge level: under the condition of retrieval practice strategy, there is no significant difference on the correct rate of retention and transfer between participates with high prior knowledge and participates with low prior knowledge; as the concept mapping strategy concerned, the participates with high prior knowledge were significantly higher than participates with low prior knowledge on the correct rate of retention and transfer. In addition, the complexity of the strategy would increase learners' extraneous load, but it didn't have decisive influence on the effectiveness of the strategy. In terms of result, it was concluded that the reason why retrieval practice could produce more memory retention and transfer than concept mapping is not because of that its strategy is easier to be master, it is that the concept mapping strategy was very dependent on learner's prior knowledge level. Relatively, retrieval practice is not dependent on learner's prior knowledge level. The results have some important implications. Firstly, retrieval practice is an effective tool to promote retention and transfer, it indeed can enhance subsequent recall more than concept mapping. Thus, educators should pay more attention to the effectiveness of retrieval practice rather than view it as an assessment device to measure what a student knows. Secondly, the findings support the theory that retrieval practice enhances learning by retrieval-specific mechanisms rather than by elaborative study processes.

This research was conducted because there is a problem of low critical thinking among students in learning Social Studies in elementary schools. Improving critical thinking skills in students, requires an appropriate learning model and interesting learning media, namely by using the Inquiry-Based Learning model with the help of animated videos. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in critical thinking of students given the Inquiry-Based Learning model and the Lecture model. This study used the 2x2 Quasi Experiment method with a sample of 56 students from the experimental group and the control group. The results of this study showed that: (1) the ability to think critically between students who learn with the Inquiry-Based Learning model higher motivation compared to students who learn with the Lecture model (2) there is an interaction between the learning model on the critical thinking ability of students (3) the critical thinking ability of students who are given the treatment of Inquiry-Based Learning learning model is higher than the Lecture model with high motivation (4) the critical thinking ability of students who are given the treatment of Inquiry-Based Learning model is higher than the Lecture model with low motivation.

This study attempted to test whether the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and innovative collaborative learning could be more effective than the use of traditional collaborative learning in improving students’ English proficiencies. A true experimental design was used in the study. Four randomly-assigned groups participated in the study: a traditional collaborative learning group (TCLG, 34 students), an innovative collaborative learning group (ICLG, 31 students), a CALL traditional collaborative learning group (CALLTCLG, 32 students), and a CALL innovative collaborative learning group (CALLICLG, 31 students). TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) listening, reading, speaking, and writing pre-test and post-test assessments were given to all students at an interval of sixteen weeks. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that students who used CALL had significantly better learning performance than those who did not. Students in innovative collaborative learning had significantly better learning performances than those in traditional collaborative learning. Additionally, students using CALL innovative collaborative learning had better learning performances than those in CALL collaborative learning, those in innovative collaborative learning, and those in traditional collaborative learning.

In the past decades, collaborative game-based learning has been used to facilitate students’ learning in authentic learning contexts. Although several previous studies have reported the potential of this approach for students’ learning performance and motivation, unequal participation could negatively influence the learning effectiveness of collaborative learning. To this end, this study developed a mandatory contribution-based collaborative gaming approach (MCCG) to enhance the competencies for conducting practical solutions related to environmental issues during a cross-field learning activity between a school and a museum. MCCG and a conventional collaborative gaming approach (CCG) were implemented to investigate the effects of individual contributions on collaborative learning. Both individual learning achievements and collaborative learning outcomes were assessed. The results showed that game-based collaboration supports can support competency-based education to enhance students’ competencies, such as problem-solving and critical thinking competencies. Those students who learned with the mandatory contribution approach had better collaborative learning outcomes.