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Cognitive Load Theory: Failure? « EdTechDev
Explanation of cognitive load theory and the problems with it, both conceptual and methodological. Lots of sources to dig into deeper if you want more research on this issue.
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Numerous contradictions of cognitive load theory’s predictions have been found, but with germane cognitive load, they can still be explained away. de Jong does not use this term (unfalsifiable) but instead states that germane cognitive load is a post-hoc explanation with no theoretical basis: “there seems to be no grounds for asserting that processes that lead to (correct) schema acquisition will impose a higher cognitive load than learning processes that do not lead to (correct) schemas” (2009).
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2. Poor external validity of lab-based studies. Moreno doesn’t touch on something in the de Jong article – the fact that most cognitive load (and multimedia learning) studies are conducted in labs that “includes participants who have no specific interest in learning the domain involved and who are also given a very short study time” (de Jong, 2009), often only a few minutes. Quite a number of findings from these studies have not held up as strongly when tested in classrooms or real-world scenarios, or have even reversed (such as the modality effect, but see this refutation and this other example of a reverse effect).
Learning Visions: Ruth Clark: Evidence Based E-Learning #dl09 #dl09-104
Cammy Bean's live blogged notes from DevLearn with Ruth Clark. Lots of this is the multimedia principles I've read before (and maybe don't always apply in authentic learning environments, but that's another story). The research on animations vs stills was new to me though.
Getting It Wrong: Surprising Tips on How to Learn: Scientific American - Sean Kearney's Lifestream
Interesting research--totally flies in the face of how most of us think about designing learning. Do we design learning environments that allow people to fail enough to learn?
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The idea embedded in this approach is that if students make errors, they will learn the errors and be prevented (or slowed) in learning the correct information. But research by Nate Kornell, Matthew Hays and Robert Bjork at U.C.L.A. that recently appeared in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition reveals that this worry is misplaced. In fact, they found, learning becomes better if conditions are arranged so that students make errors
Open Access Educational Technology journals – George Veletsianos
Looking for research on e-learning, instructional design, educational technology, or related topics? Check out these open access journals. Great to have a filtered list for this rather than having to dig through some of the larger directories.
New evidence that bullet-points don’t work : Speaking about Presenting
Research applying cognitive load theory to slide presentations providing evidence that slides crammed full of text aren't effective for helping people learn and remember
Weblogs and Their Effects on Writing Skills
Case study of blogs used with fifth graders to improve writing skills. In both classes reviewed, blogs improved "both rich content and author's craft" but not grammar and spelling.
Collaborative Blogging as a Means to Develop Elementary Expository Writing Skills
Study on collaborative blogging with third graders that resulted in improved attitudes towards writing, improved quality of writing, and a number of unintended benefits
A review of research on professional learning communities: What do we know?
Like the title says, a research review on PLCs, synthesizing results from 10 articles.
* All research supported the idea that learning communities change teaching practice, although not all articles were specific about what changes took place.
* In one study, teachers in PLCs developed more student-centered classrooms. Some other studies discussed specific teaching strategies used as a result of PLCs.
* All studies showed a change in school culture through "collaboration, focus on student learning, teacher authority, and continuous teacher learning."
* All 6 studies that looked at student achievement found that student learning improved. However, this was only seen when the focus of collaboration was student learning and not just working together.
* Their conclusion: "The focus of a PLC should be developing teachers’ “knowledge of practice” around the issue of student learning"
* "...working collaboratively is the process not the goal of a PLC. The goal is enhanced student achievement."
22 Why Reasons People Go Online: Which is Your Blog Connecting With?
Why do people go online? The most popular category is learning: educating yourself, doing research, or keeping informed. Fun reasons like passing time and being entertained as well as socializing also ranked high.
Meta-Analysis Shows Online Learning Better, Blended Even Better
According to a meta-analysis by the US Department of Education, face-to-face courses are less effective than online and blended learning. They caution against viewing this as simply a matter of the medium though. It's the changes in what online and blended learning allow (like opportunities for collaboration) that are likely making the difference.
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The meta-analysis findings do not support simply putting an existing course online, but they do support redesigning instruction to incorporate additional learning opportunities online.
Could Power Point Presentations Be Stifling Learning?
This summary doesn't say how large the sample size was, and the researchers clarify that it's only about teaching new concepts. However, it is interesting to note that animation in PowerPoint slide decreased recall and comprehension.
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To test their hypothesis, the team recorded two versions of a PowerPoint lecture. The presentations differed only in the presence of animation to incrementally present information. They then showed students either the animated or non-animated lecture and then tested the students recall and comprehension of the lecture.
The team found a marked difference in average student performance, with those seeing the non-animated lecture performing much better in the tests than those who watched the animated lecture.
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To test their hypothesis, the team recorded two versions of a PowerPoint lecture. The presentations differed only in the presence of animation to incrementally present information. They then showed students either the animated or non-animated lecture and then tested the students recall and comprehension of the lecture.
The team found a marked difference in average student performance, with those seeing the non-animated lecture performing much better in the tests than those who watched the animated lecture. Students were able to recall details of the static graphics much better. Animated slides meant to present information incrementally actually require greater concentration, which makes it harder to remember content as well as reducing overall exposure time to the "complete" slide, the researchers found.
Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement (pdf)
Whitepaper on electronic portfolios providing a background on the theory and research. Motivation, engagement, storytelling, and tools are also covered.
Becta Government & partners - Impact of e-portfolios on learning
Research on how e-portfolios can improve learning. Summary and full research reports available
CITE Journal - Science: Blogs: Enhancing Links in a Professional Learning Community of Science and Mathematics Teachers
Small study of reflective blogging to build a learning community with teachers. Overall, the results were positive and the teachers felt the experience was beneficial, but there were some technical and other difficulties.
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Small study of reflective blogging to build a learning community with teachers. Overall, the results were positive and the teachers felt the experience was beneficial, but there were some technical and other difficulties.
- christyinsdesign on 2007-10-11
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Anyone who can access the Internet can be part of the knowledge-access, knowledge-building,
information-exchanging culture, regardless of location. -
Learning communities do not have to be built through face-to-face interactions.
They can be realized using nontraditional electronic communication. - 2 more annotations...
AllThingsPLC — Articles & Research
Articles and research on professional learning communities. This all seems to be from the more traditional view of PLCs as within schools or districts; I don't see anything about online communities here.
Will at Work Learning: New Research Report on Using Culturally, Linguistically, and Situationally Relevant Scenarios
Research on how to support learning with scenarios that are relevant to the specific situation. Even though this is explicitly about workplace training, the major recommendations could be adapted for instructional design in education contexts too.
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Utilize decision-making scenarios. Consider using them not just in a minor role—for example at the end of a section—but integrated into the main narrative of your learning design.
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Determine the most important points you want to get across AND the most important situations in which these points are critical. Then, provide extra repetitions spaced over time on these key points and situations.
Donald Clark Plan B: Brilliant 35 studies in media and learning
Great summary of research points on our perceptions of media with implications for using media effectively for learning. For example, audio quality matters a lot, but video quality can be low and still effective. Large, wide screens are preferred over higher quality images on smaller screens.
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35 psychological studies into the human reaction to media all point towards the simple proposition that people react towards media socially even though, at a conscious level, they believe it is not reasonable to do so. They can't help it. In short, people think that computers are people, which makes e-learning work.
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As long as a media technology is consistent with social and physical rules, we will accept it. Read that last part again, 'as long as a media technology is consistent with social and physical rules'. If the media technology fails to conform to these human expectations - we will very much not accept it.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Drop Practice | Tom Werner
Summary of research which compared courses with the same content but with specific elements of Gagne's instructional events removed. The strongest correlation with student performance and satisfaction was with practice with feedback.
(This is an old post, but it's moved since I originally bookmarked it.)
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The only instructional element that really matters is practice with feedback.
sciencegeekgirl » The burden of proof: What does education research really tell us?
Looking at the resistance to change in education even when research supports certain strategies (like active learning). Educators resist using new teaching methods when they don't feel the research matches up with their personal experience. Education research isn't the same as pure scientific research in a lab where everything can be controlled, but if there is some repeatability in multiple contexts, isn't that educational research onto something?
Mind Hacks: The Straight Dope on Learning Styles
Interesting perspective on learning style theories, arguing that they may be useful because they help teachers become more aware of how they're teaching, even if the research support for any given theory is lacking
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Learning styles seem intuitively sensible. Having thought about learning styles helps teachers improve their teaching and also helps increase their confidence and motivation. But there is no strong evidence that any one theory of learning styles is the best, or most true, compared to the others. Learning style theories can be useful without being true, and it isn't clear that knowing the truth about the differences in how people learn will be immediately useful or produce a more useful theory of learning styles. This difference between truth and utility is a typical dilemma of psychology.
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Using a learning style theory is great, but you lose a lot of flexibility and potential for change if you start to believe that the theory is based on proven facts about the way the world is, rather than just being a useful set of habits and suggestions which might, sometimes, help guide us through the maze of teaching and learning.
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