Showing papers on "Instructional design published in 2014"

Effectiveness of virtual reality-based instruction on students' learning outcomes in K-12 and higher education

Abstract: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine overall effect as well as the impact of selected instructional design principles in the context of virtual reality technology-based instruction (i.e. games, simulation, virtual worlds) in K-12 or higher education settings. A total of 13 studies (N?=?3081) in the category of games, 29 studies (N?=?2553) in the category of games, and 27 studies (N?=?2798) in the category of virtual worlds were meta-analyzed. The key inclusion criteria were that the study came from K-12 or higher education settings, used experimental or quasi-experimental research designs, and used a learning outcome measure to evaluate the effects of the virtual reality-based instruction.Results suggest games (FEM?=?0.77; REM?=?0.51), simulations (FEM?=?0.38; REM?=?0.41), and virtual worlds (FEM?=?0.36; REM?=?0.41) were effective in improving learning outcome gains. The homogeneity analysis of the effect sizes was statistically significant, indicating that the studies were different from each other. Therefore, we conducted moderator analysis using 13 variables used to code the studies. Key findings included that: games show higher learning gains than simulations and virtual worlds. For simulation studies, elaborate explanation type feedback is more suitable for declarative tasks whereas knowledge of correct response is more appropriate for procedural tasks. Students performance is enhanced when they conduct the game play individually than in a group. In addition, we found an inverse relationship between number of treatment sessions learning gains for games.With regards to the virtual world, we found that if students were repeatedly measured it deteriorates their learning outcome gains. We discuss results to highlight the importance of considering instructional design principles when designing virtual reality-based instruction. A comprehensive review of virtual reality-based instruction research.Analysis of the moderation effects of design features in a virtual environment.Using an advance statistical technique of meta-analysis to study the effects.Virtual reality environment is effective for teaching in K-12 and higher education.Results can be used by instructional designers to design the virtual environments.

Developing a Theory of Gamified Learning: Linking Serious Games and Gamification of Learning

Abstract: Background and AimGamification has been defined as the use of characteristics commonly associated with video games in non-game contexts. In this article, I reframe this definition in terms of the game attribute taxonomy presented by Bedwell and colleagues. This linking is done with the goal of aligning the research literatures of serious games and gamification. A psychological theory of gamified learning is developed and explored.ConclusionIn the theory of gamified learning, gamification is defined as the use of game attributes, as defined by the Bedwell taxonomy, outside the context of a game with the purpose of affecting learning-related behaviors or attitudes. These behaviors/attitudes, in turn, influence learning by one or two processes: by strengthening the relationship between instructional design quality and outcomes (a moderating process) and/or by influencing learning directly (a mediating process). This is contrasted with a serious games approach in which manipulation of game attributes is typic...

Augmented Reality Teaching and Learning

Abstract: This literature review focuses on augmented realities (AR) for learning that utilize mobile, context-aware technologies (e.g., smartphones, tablets), which enable participants to interact with digital information embedded within the physical environment. We summarize research findings about AR in formal and informal learning environments (i.e., schools, universities, museums, parks, zoos, etc.), with an emphasis on the affordances and limitations associated with AR as it relates to teaching, learning, and instructional design. As a cognitive tool and pedagogical approach, AR is primarily aligned with situated and constructivist learning theory, as it positions the learner within a real-world physical and social context while guiding, scaffolding and facilitating participatory and metacognitive learning processes such as authentic inquiry, active observation, peer coaching, reciprocal teaching and legitimate peripheral participation with multiple modes of representation.

Teachers Learning Technology by Design

Abstract: Although there has been much debate about what teachers need to know about technology, less attention has been paid to how they are supposed to learn it. Teacher preparation programs need to go beyond merely training teachers in how to use specific software and hardware tools, and instead focus on developing an understanding of the complex set of interrelationships between artifacts, users, tools, and practices. In this paper, we introduce and advocate a Learning By Design approach that can help teachers develop a flexible and situated understanding of technology. In this approach, inservice teachers work collaboratively in small groups to develop technological solutions to authentic pedagogical problems. We introduce the Learning by Design strategy and provide examples of its use in three different courses. We summarize what teachers learn in this approach, focusing on learning about technology, learning about design, and learning about learning.

Conjecture Mapping: An Approach to Systematic Educational Design Research

Abstract: Design research is strongly associated with the learning sciences community, and in the 2 decades since its conception it has become broadly accepted. Yet within and without the learning sciences there remains confusion about how to do design research, with most scholarship on the approach describing what it is rather than how to do it. This article describes a technique for mapping conjectures through a learning environment design, distinguishing conjectures about how the design should function from theoretical conjectures that explain how that function produces intended outcomes.

Design and Development Research

Abstract: This chapter focuses on design and development research, a type of inquiry unique to the instructional design and technology field dedicated to the creation of new knowledge and the validation of existing practice. We first define this kind of research and provide an overview of its two main categories—research on products and tools and research on design and development models. Then, we concentrate on recent design and development research (DDR) by describing 11 studies published in the literature. The five product and tool studies reviewed include research on comprehensive development projects, studies of particular design and development phases, and research on tool development and use. The six model studies reviewed include research leading to new or enhanced ID models, model validation and model use research. Finally, we summarize this new work in terms of the problems it addresses, the settings and participants examined, the research methodologies employed used, and the role evaluation plays in these studies.

Effects of the Physical Environment on Cognitive Load and Learning: Towards a New Model of Cognitive Load.

Abstract: Although the theoretical framework of cognitive load theory has acknowledged a role for the learning environment, the specific characteristics of the physical learning environment that could affect cognitive load have never been considered, neither theoretically nor empirically. In this article, we argue that the physical learning environment, and more specifically its effects on cognitive load, can be regarded as a determinant of the effectiveness of instruction. We present an updated version of the cognitive load model of Paas and Van Merrienboer (Educational Psychology Review, 6:351–371, 1994a), in which the physical learning environment is considered a distinct causal factor that can interact with learner characteristics, learning-task characteristics, or a combination of both. Previous research into effects of the physical learning environment on cognitive performance that could inspire new cognitive load research is discussed, and a future research agenda is sketched.

Blended Learning in Higher Education: Three Different Design Approaches.

Abstract: Blended learning has been growing in popularity as it has proved to be an effective approach for accommodating an increasingly diverse student population whilst adding value to the learning environment through incorporation of online teaching resources. Despite this growing interest, there is ongoing debate about the definition of the concept of blended learning. As a result, teachers in higher education have developed different understandings of the term and different design approaches have evolved. Selecting the most appropriate design approach for a blended course is a major challenge for many teachers in higher education institutions who are new to the idea of blended learning. This paper aims to provide guidance to help teachers of traditional face-to-face courses in selecting the most appropriate approach to use when designing their blended courses. Firstly, it discusses the different definitions of the term blended learning and how they have resulted in a number of design approaches. It then classifies these approaches into: low-impact, medium-impact and high-impact blends according to the potential changes to the existing teaching program and student learning experience. Finally, it describes the benefits and the challenges of applying each approach and provides recommendations about when and how each approach should be used.

Online instruction, e-learning, and student satisfaction: A three year study

Abstract: This article presents the results of a three-year study of graduate and undergraduate students’ level of satisfaction with online instruction at one university. The study expands on earlier research into student satisfaction with e-learning. Researchers conducted a series of surveys over eight academic terms. Five hundred and fifty-three students participated in the study. Responses were consistent throughout, although there were some differences noted in the level of student satisfaction with their experience. There were no statistically significant differences in the level of satisfaction based on gender, age, or level of study. Overall, students rated their online instruction as moderately satisfactory, with hybrid or partially online courses rated as somewhat more satisfactory than fully online courses. “Convenience” was the most cited reason for satisfaction. “Lack of interaction” was the most cited reason for dissatisfaction. Preferences for hybrid courses surfaced in the responses to an open-ended question asking what made the experience with online or partially online courses satisfactory or unsatisfactory. This study’s findings support the literature to date and reinforce the significance of student satisfaction to student retention.

Planning Instruction to Meet the Intent of the Next Generation Science Standards

Abstract: The National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States in Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. The National Academies Press, Washington, 2013) move teaching away from covering many isolated facts to a focus on a smaller number of disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) and crosscutting concepts that can be used to explain phenomena and solve problems by engaging in science and engineering practices. The NGSS present standards as knowledge-in-use by expressing them as performance expectations (PEs) that integrate all three dimensions from the Framework for K-12 Science Education. This integration of core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts is referred to as three-dimensional learning (NRC in Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. The National Academies Press, Washington, 2014). PEs state what students can be assessed on at the end of grade level for K-5 and at the end of grade band for 6–8 and 9–12. PEs do not specify how instruction should be developed nor do they serve as objectives for individual lessons. To support students in developing proficiency in the PEs, the elements of the DCIs will need to be blended with various practices and crosscutting concepts. In this paper, we examine how to design instruction to support students in meeting a cluster or “bundle” of PEs and how to blend the three dimensions to develop lesson level PEs that can be used for guiding instruction. We provide a ten-step process and an example of that process that teachers and curriculum designers can use to design lessons that meet the intent of the Next Generation of Science Standards.

Instructional Design Models

Abstract: This chapter presents information about the role of models used for instructional design. While heuristics provide broad references for approaching instructional design, specific applications of procedures necessary to actually develop teaching and learning materials require more defined models. The purpose here is to promote a better understanding about the appropriate utilization of instructional design models. Instruction is posited here as including both teaching and learning, and that teaching and learning are inextricably connected with regard to the construction of knowledge and skills. Since the first appearance of instructional design models in the 1960s there has been an ever-increasing number of models published in both the instructional technology and other education literature based on the assumptions that instruction includes both teaching and learning. While there are hundreds of instructional design models, there have been only a few major distinctions among them, until recently. Still, instructional design models provide conceptual tools to visualize, direct, and manage processes for creating high-quality teaching and learning materials. The proper selection of instructional design models assists us in appropriately matching the right process with the right situation. Thus, instructional design models serve as a valuable source for matching the right creative process to the right design situation as well as an effective framework for conducting instructional design research.

Experimenting to Support and Understand Learning Processes

Abstract: In this chapter, we describe an approach to design research1 that we have refined while conducting a series of design research projects in mathematics education over a ten-year period. Our intent in doing so is to highlight a number of issues that we believe it is essential to consider when conducting a design experiment regardless of the specific approach followed. For the purpose of this chapter, we define design research as a family of methodological approaches in which instructional design and research are interdependent.2 On the one hand, the design of learning environments serves as the context for research, and, on the other hand, ongoing and retrospective analyses are conducted in order to inform the improvement of the design. This type of research involves attempting to support the development of particular forms of learning and studying the learning that occurs in these designed settings. The learning of interest might be that of individual students who interact one-on-one with a researcher in a series of teaching sessions (Cobb & Steffe, 1983; Steffe & Thompson, 2000), a group of students in a classroom (Cobb, 2000a; Confrey & Lachance, 2000; Gravemeijer, 1994b), preservice teachers in a university course (Simon, 2000), or practicing teachers who collaborate with researchers as members of a professional teaching community (Kazemi & Franke, 2004; Stein et al., 1998). In each of these cases, design research enables us to investigate simultaneously both the process of learning and the means by which it is supported and organized. As we will argue later in the chapter, the potential contributions of the methodology become particularly apparent when the current research base is thin and provides only limited guidance for the design of learning environments.

Blending Online Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning.

Abstract: In this article I will share a qualitative self-study about a 15-week blended 100% online graduate level course facilitated through synchronous meetings on Blackboard Collaborate and asynchronous discussions on Blackboard. I taught the course at the University of Tennessee (UT) during the spring 2012 semester and the course topic was online learning environments. The primary research question of this study was: How can the designer/instructor optimize learning experiences for students who are studying about online learning environments in a blended online course relying on both synchronous and asynchronous technologies? I relied on student reflections of course activities during the beginning, middle, and the end of the semester as the primary data source to obtain their insights regarding course experiences. Through the experiences involved in designing and teaching the course and engaging in this study I found that there is room in the instructional technology research community to address strategies for facilitating online synchronous learning that complement asynchronous learning. Synchronous online whole class meetings and well-structured small group meetings can help students feel a stronger sense of connection to their peers and instructor and stay engaged with course activities. In order to provide meaningful learning spaces in synchronous learning environments, the instructor/designer needs to balance the tension between embracing the flexibility that the online space affords to users and designing deliberate structures that will help them take advantage of the flexible space.

The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning: Principles Based on Social Cues in Multimedia Learning: Personalization, Voice, Image, and Embodiment Principles

Abstract: The modality effect refers to a cognitive load learning effect that occurs when a mixed-mode (partly visual and partly auditory) presentation of information is more effective than a single-mode (either visual or auditory alone) presentation of the same information. For learning to occur, novel material must be organised and incorporated into long-term memory via a limited working memory. For instruction to be effective, it has to be designed in ways in which the limitations of working memory are overcome. As distraction and interference impose an additional memory load, their impact on the limited working memory system has to be taken into consideration in a multimedia context where the different formats of words and pictures allow for many possible ways of presenting information. The instructional predictions that flow from the experimental work on the modality effect are straightforward. From a practical perspective, the modality effect provides guidelines for effective instruction.

Game-Based Learning

Abstract: This chapter reviews a rapidly growing body of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of using video and computer games to provide instruction. Evidence of their effectiveness is drawn from existing results and data. The topics covered here are transfer from computer games to external tasks, enhancing cognitive processes, guidance and animated agents, playing time and integration with curricular objectives, effects on game players, attitudes toward games, cost-effectiveness, and, finally, the use of games for evaluation. Areas where the evidence base is particularly weak are identified in the discussion section. Findings and recommendations for the design of games used in instruction are summarized in a table. The chapter concludes with a call for development of tools and technology for integrating the motivating aspects of games with good instructional design. People do learn from games. Missing are generally effective design processes that ensure that learners will acquire the specific knowledge and skills the games are intended to impart.

Understanding video as a tool for teacher education: investigating instructional strategies to promote reflection

Abstract: There is a general consensus among researchers and teacher educators that classroom video can be a valuable tool for pre-service teacher education. Media such as video are not, however, in themselves effective. They have to be embedded in an instructional program to be useful. Yet, little empirical research examines how specific instructional approaches might effectively exploit the potential of video in teacher education. In this study we explored the use of two video-based university courses, one representing a cognitive instructional strategy integrating video, the other representing a situative strategy. Using data from learning journals we analyzed the effects of the two strategies on pre-service teachers’ (N = 28) ability to reflect on classroom video. We found that the two strategies have distinct impacts on the kinds of reflection patterns that are fostered. Our findings suggest that the learning goal and purpose at hand should determine which instructional strategy should be employed when embedding classroom video into teacher education courses.

The signaling (or cueing) principle in multimedia learning

Abstract: This chapter is a cautionary description of 10 of the questionable principles that have developed and seem to be widely shared about multimedia learning. The updated questionable beliefs include the expectations that multimedia instruction: yields more learning than live instruction or older media; is more motivating than other instructional media; provides animated pedagogical agents that aid learning; accommodates different learning styles and so maximizes learning for more students; and facilitates student-managed constructivist and discovery approaches that are beneficial to learning. The more recent additions and the focus of this discussion are expectations that multimedia instruction benefits learning by providing autonomy and control over the sequencing of instruction; higher-order thinking skills; incidental learning of enriching information; interactivity; and an authentic learning environment and activities. Finally, multimedia is confounded with the content of instruction, such as critical and higher-order thinking skills.

Situated Learning in Virtual Worlds and Immersive Simulations

Abstract: Virtual worlds and immersive simulations are designed to create a compelling, ­collaborative, and participatory experience for the user, and often contain a variety of features not possible in the real world to enhance users’ engagement and learning. Over the past several years, an increasing number of immersive virtual environment experiences have become available for both educational and entertainment purposes. Participants in entertainment experiences now number hundreds of millions, yet adoption in educational settings has been limited thus far. In this chapter, we review examples of virtual worlds and immersive simulations that are designed, or adapted, to support situated learning experiences, analyze their use for a variety of educational purposes, explore theoretical foundations, identify learning affordances and limitations, and examine instructional design considerations.

Investigating the impact of an integrated approach to the development of preservice teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to describe an integrated pedagogical approach, aimed at advancing preservice teachers' learning on the use of technology and investigate its impact on participants' knowledge (i.e., TPACK) and practice. The integrated approach juxtaposes an educational technology course with methods courses and field experience through careful instructional design. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Quantitative data were collected through a pre-post administration of the Survey of Preservice Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching and Technology. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended survey responses and preservice teacher case narratives reporting on the design and implementation of technology-integrated lessons in a field placement. Finding revealed that participants experienced significant gains in all TPACK constructs. Further, findings indicated that participants applied their knowledge in practice though there was variability in the ways in which knowledge domains were represented in participants' narratives. Findings have implications for teacher education programs and for researchers interested in the development and assessment of preservice teacher knowledge of teaching with technology.

Outcomes-based approach to quality assessment and curriculum improvement in higher education

Abstract: Purpose – This paper was written for practitioners in higher education, including academics and instructional designers who are engaged in curriculum revision. It aims to examine the notion of outcomes-based education, survey the literature and provide a critical review of the outcomes-based approach to quality assessment and curriculum improvement in higher education. The outcomes-based approach is completely student-centred, which focuses on what students know and can actually do. Sharpening the focus onto student learning outcomes goes beyond mere tinkering with traditional structures and methods; it really constitutes a paradigm shift in educational philosophy and practice. Design/methodology/approach – This paper begins with a summary of developments in institutional quality assessment and curriculum improvement in higher education in recent decades. Then, it identifies the underlying concepts and principles that characterize the outcomes-based approach for the design and improvement of curriculum an...

Participatory design of learning environments: integrating perspectives of students, teachers, and designers

Abstract: Instructional design processes aim to improve student learning. Educational designers and teachers use their expertise and experience to create best possible learning environments for students. Students themselves typically do not participate actively in the design process (Rudduck and McIntyre 2007). However, their perceptions of instruction determine their learning behaviour (Entwistle 1991) and hence the effectiveness of learning environments. Therefore, ‘‘students should help shape rather than simply be shaped by educational policies and practices’’ (Cook-Sather 2003, p. 22). Additionally, discrepancies between designers’ and teachers’ perspectives may inhibit the intended implementation of learning environments. Combining the expertise of different stakeholders can improve the quality of the instructional design process and the resulting learning environments. Therefore, the main aim of this special issue is to bring together research on how to improve cooperation between designers, teachers, and students in the instructional design process and to show important developments in this research field.

Domain-Specific Knowledge and Why Teaching Generic Skills Does Not Work.

Abstract: Domain-general cognitive knowledge has frequently been used to explain skill when domain-specific knowledge held in long-term memory may provide a better explanation. An emphasis on domain-general knowledge may be misplaced if domain-specific knowledge is the primary factor driving acquired intellectual skills. We trace the long history of attempts to explain human cognition by placing a primary emphasis on domain-general skills with a reduced emphasis on domain-specific knowledge and indicate how otherwise unintelligible data can be easily explained by assumptions concerning the primacy of domain-specific knowledge. That primacy can be explained by aspects of evolutionary educational psychology. Once the importance of domain-specific knowledge is accepted, instructional design theories and processes are transformed.

Design Principles for Augmented Reality Learning

Abstract: Augmented reality is an emerging technology that utilizes mobile, context-aware devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets) that enable participants to interact with digital information embedded within the physical environment. This overview of design principles focuses on specific strategies that instructional designers can use to develop AR learning experiences. A review of the literature reveals the following three design principles as instructive: 1. Enable and then challenge (challenge): 2. Drive by gamified story (fantasy); and 3. See the unseen (curiosity). These design principles can also be viewed as an attempt to either leverage the unique affor- dances of AR or minimize the limitations of the medium as reported in the literature (Dunleavy & Dede, 2014). As the field matures and more research teams explore the potential of AR to enhance teaching and learning, it will be critical to determine the design techniques that optimize the unique affordances of AR, minimize the limitations of the medium, and ultimately enhance learning across the curriculum.

First Principles of Instruction

Abstract: For the past several years the author has been reviewing instructional design theories in an attempt to identify prescriptive principles that are common to the various theries. This paper is a preliminary report of the principles that have been identified by this search. Five first principles are elaborated: (a) Learning is promoted when learners are engaged in solving real-world problems. (b) Learning is promoted when existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge. (c) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is demonstrated to the learner. (d) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is applied by the learner. (e) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is integrated into the learner's world. Representative instructional design theories are briefly examined to illustrate how they include these principles. These include: Star Legacy by the Vanderbilt Learning Technology Center, 4-Mat by McCarthy, instructional episodes by Andre, multiple approaches to understanding by Gardner, collaborative problem solving by Nelson, constructivist learning environments by Jonassen, and learning by doing by Schank. It is concluded that, although they use a wide variety of terms, these theories and models do include fundamentally similar principles.

Managing Uncertainty During Collaborative Problem Solving in Elementary School Teams: The Role of Peer Influence in Robotics Engineering Activity

Abstract: This study investigated how interaction with peers influenced the ways students managed uncertainty during collaborative problem solving in a 5th-grade class. The analysis focused on peer responses to individuals’ attempts to manage uncertainty they experienced while engaged in collaborative efforts to design, build, and program robots and achieve assignment objectives. Patterns of peer response were established through discourse analysis of work sessions for 5 teams engaged in 2 collaborative projects. Three socially supportive peer responses and 2 unsupportive peer responses were identified. Peer interaction was influential because students relied on supportive social response to enact most of their uncertainty management strategies. This study provides a useful theoretical contribution to understanding the roles of peer interaction in collaborative problem solving. Conceptualizing collaborative problem solving as a process of negotiating uncertainties can help instructional designers shape tasks and re...

The Four-Component Instructional Design Model : Multimedia Principles in Environments for Complex Learning

Abstract: This introductory chapter provides a definition of multimedia learning, offers a rationale for multimedia learning, outlines the research base for multimedia learning, summarizes changes since the first edition, and draws distinctions between the two approaches to multimedia design, three metaphors of multimedia learning, three kinds of multimedia learning outcomes, and two kinds of active learning. Multimedia represents a potentially powerful learning technology that is, a system for enhancing human learning. A practical goal of research on multimedia is to devise design principles for multimedia presentations. In addressing this goal, it is useful to distinguish between two approaches to multimedia design a technology-centered approach and a learner-centered approach. Response, strengthening, information acquisition, and knowledge construction are three metaphors of multimedia learning. Research on learning shows that meaningful learning depends on the learner's cognitive activity during learning rather than on the learner's behavioral activity during learning.

The Use of a Flipped Classroom to Enhance Engagement and Promote Active Learning

Abstract: This study was based on Reeve’s (2013) four-aspect conceptualization regarding student engagement to promote active learning using a flipped classroom. The flipped classroom is defined as using technology to provide lectures outside of the classroom, while assignments with concepts are provided inside the classroom through learning activities (Clark, 2013). Behavioral engagement is defined as teachers’ direction of students toward activities that require them to apply initiative (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). Emotional engagement is promoted by intentionally selecting materials that stimulate students’ interaction with and feedback to the material (Taylor & Statler, 2013). Cognitive engagement is defined as the teacher’s skill in questioning and the students’ elaboration of an idea as an answer (Smart & Marshall, 2012). Agentic engagement is student self-learning, with a contribution from the lecturer to provide instructional support (Reeve & Tseng, 2011). A descriptive quantitative methodology was used in which 24 undergraduate TESOL students took the course QMT 212 Instructional Design. More information can be found in the full paper.