任务分析与教师的教学技能成长

本文结合笔者多年从事教师培训的经验,提出在我国课堂教学设计中需要引进并逐渐推广任务分析技术。其目的是引导教师学习现代学习论和教学论,使其教学行为受现代学习与教学心理学原理的支配,加快专业技能的成长。为此本文先介绍任务分析技术的起源与发展,然后论述任务分析对促进教师的教学技能成长的作用,最后用我们的教学研究结果对上述观点提供经验的支持。     

小学教师课堂教学设计能力发展特点及影响因素

运用作品分析、调查、访谈等研究方法,对小学教师这一特殊群体进行分层随机抽样调查与研究。研究结果表明,小学教师选择与运用教学媒体、编制教学目标、分析教学对象的能力明显低于选择与运用教学方法、分析教学任务、评价教学结果的能力;学校类型、教师学历、教龄是影响小学教师教学设计能力的3个主要因素。     

‘It’s OK to feel totally confused’: reflection without practice by preservice teachers in an introductory education course

In the following article, we describe our research with preservice teachers (PSTs) engaged in an introductory course in curriculum, instruction, and technology. Typically, efforts to engage PSTs in reflection focus on the student-teaching experience. We assert there is potential for PSTs to think deeply about their identities prior to actual classroom experience. Our research concerns the development of reflective pedagogical thinking by PSTs, stimulated by a variety of curricular, instructional, and technological learning experiences. We will highlight the pedagogical innovations we employed to stimulate PSTs to engage in meaningful reflection prior to their student-teaching experiences. We will describe our learning experiences and nontraditional grading scheme in the course, and examine the impact of those practices on PST reflective writing.     

Learning in High-Tech and Multimedia Environments

ABSTRACT— When do high-tech environments promote learning? The goal of this article is to offer one answer to this question by examining the classic distinction between media and method, in terms of their roles in promoting learning with technology. To this end, I first propose a cognitive theory of learning with media, from which a set of instructional design principles are derived. Then I review research in which the relative learning contributions of method and media are investigated, and I offer final reflections for future research.     

生成性绘图与合作对高中生科学知识学习的影响

生成性绘图是学习心理学中一种有效的学习策略,能够促进学习者对科学文本知识的表征和深层理解。目前关于学习者生成性绘图的研究主要集中在个体学习领域,很少有研究探讨合作学习中生成性绘图的作用。本研究将合作学习与学习者生成性绘图相结合,探讨生成性绘图和合作对高中生科学知识学习的影响。实验1采用单因素(绘图、阅读)被试间设计来验证生成性绘图对学习效果以及认知负荷等主观体验的影响;实验2采用2(合作、个体)×2(绘图、阅读)被试间设计来探讨合作与生成性绘图对学习效果和学习者主观体验的影响。研究表明,生成性绘图和合作都可以有效促进高中生科学知识的学习效果;生成性绘图能够降低学习者的内在认知负荷;合作能够降低学习者的内在和外在认知负荷,提高学习者的相关认知负荷和学习兴趣。     

Effects of Delayed Audio-Based Self-Monitoring on Teacher Completion of Learning Trials

Although instructors may teach effective instructional behaviors in pre-service training programs, pre-service teachers frequently do not generalize those behaviors to classroom practicum settings. Feedback within the practicum setting is necessary to promote generalization, but is often limited by university supervisors’ availability. Using a multiple-probe design across 3 pre-service teachers, we investigated audio self-monitoring as a method to provide feedback on the number of learning trials completed during the prior learning review section of lessons. A completed learning trial represented an opportunity for the students to both respond to a prompt and receive feedback from the pre-service teacher and represents the smallest unit of complete instruction. Results indicated that self-monitoring increased the percentage of learning trials completed by pre-service teachers, but had modest effects on rate of learning trials delivered. These findings are discussed in light of the need for methods that help bridge the gap between university-based training and classroom application of key instructional skills.     

Virtual reality applications to agoraphobia: a protocol.

Recently, educators and instructional designers have focused on the development and implementation of virtual learning environments that effectively combine theoretical and applied knowledge to teach university students. One of the trusts of the Psychology Virtual Teaching Laboratory in collaboration with the IXTLI observatory is to develop dissemination programs to promote the insertion of virtual reality (VR) technologies applied to rehabilitation in their clinical practice. This paper describes the development of (1) agoraphobia VR learning objects to be use as a teaching support tools in class and (2) a multimedia teaching program that incorporate digital video and VR scenarios address to students in the field of mental health. Promotion among professors and students about the use of this technology will allow us to initiate research in our country as well as to validate contextualized applications for our culture, therefore contributing with new advances in this field.     

Community applications of instructional technology: teaching writers of instructional packages

A community education program, to develop a variety of performance competencies in large numbers of neighborhood residents, requires a technology for preparing learning units administerable by community members themselves. The effects of a writing manual, designed to teach nonprofessionals to prepare such instructional packages, were analyzed in two experiments. Experiment I employed a multiple-baseline design across three university student trainees. The results showed that appropriate program writing increased by 75% after completion of the manual. The results of Experiment II, with two low-income neighborhood residents serving as trainees, showed that packages produced by trained writers resulted in a greater increase in skill activities than sets of training stimuli produced by untrained writers.     

Designing courseware: Prompts from behavioral instruction

Behavior analysis has been at the forefront of instructional design for many years. However, this leadership position is rapidly eroding as teachers, trainers and other educators insist that behavioral instruction is good only for meeting simplistic educational goals. I argue that in order for behavior analysis to continue to influence the field of instructional design, behavior analysts need to help people develop instructional programs that use advanced interactive computer systems and that are based on all the components of behavioral instruction. Therefore, this paper suggests the following strategy. First, it teaches people to select authoring systems that will enable them to design interactive computer programs. Second, in order to improve current authoring systems it provides a set of prompts that integrate the features of behavioral instruction. I claim that the integration of these prompts with an advanced authoring system will facilitate the development of complex, conceptual learning programs and minimize current criticisms of behavioral instruction.     

The expertise reversal effect: cognitive load and motivational explanations

The expertise reversal effect occurs when a learner's expertise moderates design principles such as the redundancy principle (i.e., redundant information should be excluded rather than included) derived from the cognitive load theory. Although this effect is supported by numerous experiments, indicating an overall large effect size, a variety of explanations have been proposed. The present experiment tested a cognitive load and a motivational explanation with 104 students, who reported a lack of experience in the presented instructional contents. They spent about 30 min with the instructional material to learn fundamental concepts about the gradient descent (a mathematical optimization algorithm), and with a retention and transfer test used as dependent measures. Each learner was randomly assigned to one cell of a 2 (either novices or experts introduced to through the instructional design presented previously) × 2 (either with or without additional text explaining the animations) between-subjects factorial design. The expertise reversal effect concerning the redundancy principle was replicated. Novices receiving additional text scored higher on retention and transfer than did novices without additional text, while this result was reversed for experts. Results suggest that this effect can be explained by the learner's cognitive load differences rather than overall motivation differences. Furthermore, a partial overlap was found between the motivational subdimension, "probability of success," and a cognitive load measure. On the practical side, instructional designers should consider the learner's level of expertise and their cognitive load when applying design principles. Further implications for adaptive learning environments are discussed.     

Thirty years of research on online learning

This paper presents a personal account of developments in research on online learning over the past 30 years. Research on how to design online instruction represents an example of applying the science of learning to education. It contributes to the science of learning (as exemplified by developments in cognitive load theory, the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, and incorporating metacognitive, motivational, and affective aspects of learning), the science of instruction (as exemplified by the continuing development of research‐based principles of instructional design), and the science of assessment (as exemplified by supplementing self‐report surveys and retention tests with multilevel transfer tests, log file data during learning, and cognitive neuroscience measures of cognitive processing during learning). Some recurring themes are that learning is caused by instructional methods rather than instructional media, so research should focus on features that are uniquely afforded by digital learning environments; instructional practice should be grounded in rigorous and systematic research, including value‐added experiments aimed at pinpointing the active ingredients in online instruction; research in online learning should identify boundary conditions under which instructional techniques are most effective; and research in online learning should test and contribute to learning theory.     

An impoverished machine: Challenges to human learning and instructional technology

Many of the limitations to human learning and processing identified by cognitive psychologists over the last 50 years still hold true, including computational constraints, low learning rates, and unreliable processing. Instructional technology can be used in classrooms and in other learning contexts to address these limitations to learning. However, creating technological innovations is not enough. As part of psychological science, the development and assessment of instructional systems should be guided by theories and practices within the discipline. The technology we develop should become an object of research like other phenomena that are studied. In the present article, I present an informal account of my own work in assessing instructional technology for engineering thermodynamics to show not only the benefits, but also the limitations, in studying the technology we create. I conclude by considering several ways of advancing the development of instructional technology within the SCiP community, including interdisciplinary research and envisioning learning contexts that differ radically from traditional learning focused on lectures and testing.     

EVALUATION OF AN INTERVIEWEE SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM IN A NATURAL FIELD EXPERIMENT

The purpose of this study was to provide an evaluation of an interviewee skills training program in a field setting using a broad sample of interviewers, jobs, and candidates. The training program ( n = 158) derived its content from previous literature and used multiple instructional techniques. An experimental design was employed with a self-study (placebo control) group ( n = 140), random assignment, and many levels of evaluation criteria. Measures exhibited acceptable reliability, and statistical power was high for all analyses. Results indicated that class members responded positively to the program and demonstrated substantial learning. Interviewer evaluations of behavior failed to distinguish between experimental groups, however, and no differences were observed in job offers. Furthermore, no differences were observed between study participants and nonparticipants ( n = 174) in terms of interview behavior and job offers. This study illustrates the danger of relying solely on reaction or learning criteria in the evaluation of training programs. Several explanations are offered for the findings.     

Relevance of perceived teacher humor types for instruction and student learning

The use of humor is assumed to be an effective tool for teachers to promote instruction and student learning. However, research on teacher humor is not yet systematically linked to instructional research. To provide a starting point, a model of teacher humor effects is proposed that refers to a multidimensional conception with different types of humor. To test basic assumptions of the model, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 985 secondary school students from 45 classrooms who were surveyed on their perceptions of teacher humor as well as relevant dimensions of instruction and aspects of their own learning. Two-level modelling revealed substantial relations between teacher humor and instructional dimensions and student learning which varied considerably between different types of humor. Whereas humor related to course material showed positive associations, unrelated humor was negatively related with the investigated instructional dimensions. Two-level mediation analyses indicated that the associations between teacher humor and student learning were mediated by instructional dimensions.     

A Systematic Approach to Engineering Ethics Education

Engineering ethics education is a complex field characterized by dynamic topics and diverse students, which results in significant challenges for engineering ethics educators. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a systematic approach to determine what to teach and how to teach in an ethics curriculum. This is a topic that has not been adequately addressed in the engineering ethics literature. This systematic approach provides a method to: (1) develop a context-specific engineering ethics curriculum using the Delphi technique, a process-driven research method; and (2) identify appropriate delivery strategies and instructional strategies using an instructional design model. This approach considers the context-specific needs of different engineering disciplines in ethics education and leverages the collaboration of engineering professors, practicing engineers, engineering graduate students, ethics scholars, and instructional design experts. The proposed approach is most suitable for a department, a discipline/field or a professional society. The approach helps to enhance learning outcomes and to facilitate ethics education curriculum development as part of the regular engineering curriculum.     

Enhancing learning and retarding forgetting: Choices and consequences

Our research on learning enhancement has been focusing on the consequences for learning and forgetting of some of the more obvious and concrete choices that arise in instruction, including questions such as these: How does spacing of practice affect retention of information over significant retention intervals (up to 1 year)? Do spacing effects generalize beyond recall of verbal materials? Is feedback needed to promote learning, and must it be immediate? Although retrieval practice has been found to enhance learning in comparison with additional study, does it actually reduce the rate of forgetting? Can retrieval practice effects be extended to nonverbal materials? We suggest that as we begin to find answers to these questions, it should become possible for cognitive psychology to offer nonobvious advice that can be applied in a variety of instructional contexts to facilitate learning and reduce forgetting.     

Instructional development for teachers in higher education: Effects on students’ perceptions of the teaching–learning environment

Background. Although instructional development for teachers has become an important topic in higher education, little is known about its actual impact. In particular, evidence regarding the impact of teachers’ instructional development on students’ perceptions of the teaching–learning environment is scarce. Aims. The impact of an instructional development programme for beginning university teachers on students’ perceptions of the teaching and learning environment was investigated. We also explored whether this impact is dependent on class size and student level (first years vs. non‐first years). Sample. Quantitative data were gathered from more than 1,000 students at pre‐ and post‐tests, using a quasi‐experimental design. Method. A multi‐level analysis was conducted in which five models were estimated. Results. A basic model made clear that teachers did differ from each other with respect to the dependent variables concerned; however, differences in scale scores also resulted to a large extent from differences between students. A second model, in which the moderating impact by way of teacher characteristics, context, and student characteristics was not taken into account, reported no significant effect of training. A third model, examining the net impact of instructional development revealed some impact, which was, remarkably, negative. A first interaction model proved a differential impact of instructional development for teachers teaching first years and those teaching non‐first years. A second one showed that the impact of training depended on the number of students one teaches. Conclusions. Instructional development for teachers in higher education does not easily result in effects on students’ perceptions of the teaching and learning environment. Perspectives for further research into instructional development are discussed.     

Developing a Learning Progression for Curriculum,Instruction, and Student Learning: An Example from Mathematics Education

Learning progressions have been demarcated by some for science education, or only concerned with levels of sophistication in student thinking as determined by logical analyses of the discipline. We take the stance that learning progressions can be leveraged in mathematics education as a form of curriculum research that advances a linked understanding of students learning over time through careful articulation of a curricular framework and progression, instructional sequence, assessments, and levels of sophistication in student learning. Under this broadened conceptualization, we advance a methodology for developing and validating learning progressions, and advance several design considerations that can guide research concerned with engendering forms of mathematics learning, and curricular and instructional support for that learning. We advance a two-phase methodology of (a) research and development, and (b) testing and revision. Each phase involves iterative cycles of design and experimentation with the aim of developing a validated learning progression. In particular, we gathered empirical data to revise our hypothesized curricular framework and progression and to measure change in students. thinking over time as a means to validate both the effectiveness of our instructional sequence and of the assessments designed to capture learning. We use the context of early algebra to exemplify our approach to learning progressions in mathematics education with a focus on the concept of mathematical equivalence across Grades 3-5. The domain of work on research on learning over time is evolving; our work contributes a broadened role for learning progressions work in mathematics education research and practice.     

ADAPTIVE GUIDANCE: ENHANCING SELF-REGULATION, KNOWLEDGE, AND PERFORMANCE IN TECHNOLOGY-BASED TRAINING

Considerable research has examined the effects of giving trainees control over their learning (Steinberg, 1977, 1989; Williams, 1993). The most consistent finding of this research has been that trainees do not make good instructional use of the control they are given. Yet, today's technologically based training systems often provide individuals with significant control over their learning (Brown, 2001). This creates a dilemma that must be addressed if technology is going to be used to create more effective training systems. The current study extended past research that has examined the effects of providing trainees with some form of advisement or guidance in addition to learner control and examined the impact of an instructional strategy, adaptive guidance, on learning and performance in a complex training environment. Overall, it was found that adaptive guidance had a substantial effect on the nature of trainees' study and practice, self-regulation, knowledge acquired, and performance.     

The triad of science foundations, instructional technology, and organizational structure

Over the centuries and across all societies educational achievement does not improve. The attempt to improve the instructional process has concentrated on instructional technology. But these attempts have overlooked the importance of two other factors: the science that should underlie the instructional technologies and the organization that must operate those technologies. A considerable step forward in handling the problems of instructional effectiveness has been the derivation of instructional technologies based on Skinnerian science. But the instructional technologies based on Skinner's analysis of behavior are promoted as if they were to operate in an organizational vacuum. The division of labor, and its necessary coordination and control, is taken for granted. But in any large scale enterprise, the organization of the division of labor must fit the technology through which that enterprise achieves its mission. Educational technology must tie directly to a pertinent science and to a proper organizational structure. To teach effectively requires an overhaul along three lines: 1) a relevant science that reflects and encapsulates an accurate understanding of behavior; 2) a contingency-based technology of instruction that directly derives its practices upon proper scientific principles; and 3) a suitable organization based on teaching teams that operate the new instructional technology.