How Do People LearnFrom e-Courses?Chapter 2

Ken KoedingerBased on slides from Ruth Clark

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+ Instructional Complexity

Plan for today

• Finish introductions from last time (15 min)• Project idea discussion (15 min)• Brief review of Chpt 1, quiz, activity (25 min)• Review of Chpt 2 & instr complexity (25 min)• Next time (5 min)

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Introductions• First and last name

– If either is tricky to pronounce give a clue, such as “Koedinger” rhymes with “play ringer”

• Degree program here at CMU• For a e-learning design project

– Do you have a content area that you are particularly interested in?

– Do you have a technology you are particularly interested in?

– Any other ideas for a possible project?

Project ideas

• Get on Blackboard– An example project final report– Rubric for step 1 with embedded examples

• Questions about projects?– Questions about step 1?

• Take a look at Discussion board posts– Who’s decided on a project domain?– Who has a partner?– Who wants a partner?

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Plan for today

• Finish introductions from last time (15 min)• Project idea discussion (15 min)• Brief review of Chpt 1, quiz, activity (25 min)

– See Chpt1 slides available online– Quiz results were good …– Questions?– Class activity: Promises & pitfalls review of e-learning

examples• Review of Chpt 2 & instr complexity (25 min)• Next time (5 min)

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Class activity: Step 1

1. Review your example of e-learning you brought to class

2. Identify the following:– Promises– Pitfalls– Is it inform or perform?– If perform, is it near or far transfer?– What architecture(s) do you see?

Note: Please turn in your example & the 2 reviews of it

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Class activity: Step 2

1. Find a partner & exchange examples2. Review their example3. Identify:

– Promises– Pitfalls– Is it inform or perform?– If perform, is it near or far transfer?– What architecture(s) do you see?

Note: Please turn in your example & the 2 reviews of it

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Class activity: Step 3

• Compare your answers• Try to resolve differences• Any hard to resolve?

Note: Please turn in your example & the 2 reviews of it

Plan for today

• Finish introductions from last time• Project idea discussion• Reading discussion

– Brief review of Chpt 1 & quiz– Review of Chpt 2 & instructional complexity

• Class activity: Promises & pitfalls review of e-learning examples

• Next time

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Plan for today

• Finish introductions from last time (15 min)• Project idea discussion (15 min)• Brief review of Chpt 1, quiz, activity (25 min)• Review of Chpt 2 & instr complexity (25 min)• Next time (5 min)

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Chapter 2 objectives

• Distinguish: – technology-centered vs. learner-centered– learning vs. instruction– 3 forms of cognitive processing/load during

learning• Identify:

– 3 metaphors for learning– 3 learning principles & processes

• Apply four key events of learning

Hot technologies that are or may be relevant to learning?

• See slides at the end of first lecture deck

• [What do you see as hot technologies?]

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A technology-centered vs. learner-centered approach to e-learning

Are hot technologies the central focus of e-learning design?

• No, meeting learners’ needs should be

Should these be avoided?• No. These technologies may help & are worth

consideration, but should be evaluated

What is learning?

• A change in what the learner knows – demonstrated by behavior

• The change is caused by the learner’s experience• This experience can be influenced by instruction

• Can learning occur without instruction? Examples?

Learning results from what the student does and thinks and only from what the student does and thinks. The teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student does to learn. —Herbert Simon

What is instruction?

• A manipulation of the learner’s experiences to foster learning – Something the instructional professional does

• Not just during class, but what they do in planning & creating materials, homework, projects, collaborative discussions – i.e., all aspects of the learning environment

– The goal of the manipulation is to change what the learner knows

Instructional events

Explanation, practice, text, rule, example, teacher-student discussion

Assessment eventsQuestion, feedback, step in ITS

Learning events

Knowledge Components

KEYOvals – observableRectangles - inferredArrows – causal links

Exam, belief survey

How do definitions compare with KLI?

Instructional events

Explanation, practice, text, rule, example, teacher-student discussion

Assessment eventsQuestion, feedback, step in ITS

Learning events

Knowledge Components

Exam, belief survey

Mapping onto KLI

Learning is a change in

what the learner knows demonstrated by behavior

Change is caused by the learner’s experience

Instruction is a manipulation of the learner’s experiences to foster learning

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Three metaphors for learning

Outsourcing

S R1. Response Strengthening

2. Information Acquisition 3. Knowledge Construction

Metaphor of Learning Learning Is: Learner is: Instructor is:

Response strengthening

Strengthening or weakening of associations

Passive recipient of rewards and punishments

Dispenser of rewards and punishments

Information acquisition

Adding information to memory

Passive recipient of information

Dispenser of information

Knowledge construction

Building a mental representation

Active sense maker

Cognitive guide

Three metaphors for learning

• For later: How are these similar or different from KLI’s learning processes?

Three learning principles

• Limited capacity• Dual channels• Active processing

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Experiment

• Listen and then write• Pens down, listen to list A• Write as many as you can recall• Pens down, listen to list B• Write as many as you can recall

Count how many in each list

List A1. Rose2. Computer3. Bird4. Cloud5. Scissors6. Book7. Dress8. Marker9. Bedroom10. Chair11. Calendar12. Pink13. Ocean14. Gutter15. Bread16. Clock

List B1. Ethics2. Hire3. Terse4. Noun5. Problem6. Manage7. Design8. Retro9. First10. Solution11. Color12. Liquid13. Pattern14. Basic15. Account16. Integrity

How do three learning principles apply to example

Limited capacity?• You can’t remember all words

Dual channels• Concrete words are easier because

you can use 2 channels: visual & verbal– Abstract words use only the verbal channel

Active processing• Recall better words you rehearse more or try to

elaborate by connecting to other knowledge

WORKING MEMORY

Pictorial Model

Verbal Model

Pictures

Words

LONG-TERM MEMORY

selecting images

selecting words

organizing images

organizing words

SENSES

Ears

Eyes

Prior Knowledge

Prior Knowledge

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION

Images

Sounds

integrating

Cognitive theory of multimedia learning

Cognitive load theory

1. Extraneous processing – depresses learning2. Essential processing – complexity of content3. Generative processing – facilitates learning

Note: Above is Mayer’s terminology (which I prefer), but some “cognitive load theoristsMany use the following instead:

1. Extraneous load2. Intrinsic load3. Germane load

Extraneous processing

Essential processing • Which demands more mental processing

(to correctly respond)?

A. Write the meaning of this written phrase: A che ora parte il treno?

B. Respond to this spoken question: “Di che colore sono i suoi capelli?”

C. Determine the meaning of this question: What is the best way to get downtown?

D. Respond to this question:What is the best way to get downtown?

• How might you confirm your hypotheses?

Essential processing, example 2 • Which demands more mental processing

(to correctly respond)?

A. Solve for x: 80 + 10 = x

B. Solve for x: 20 * 4 + 10 = x

C. Starting with 80, if I add 10, I get a number. What number is it?

D. Starting with 20, if I multiply it by 20 and then add 10, I get a number. What number is it?

• Determining underlying processes needed to do tasks is the goal of Cognitive Task Analysis, which we will discuss later

Which formula ismost efficient to calculate all commissions:

= B4*B9= B4/B9=B4*$B9$=B4*$B$9

Lesson 2: Working with FormulasUsing Spreadsheets in your Small Business

Generative processing

Managing cognitive load

Insert table 2.2

Challenge Description Solution Examples

Too much extraneous processing

The mental load from extraneous and essential processes exceeds capacity

Use instructional methods that decrease extraneous processing

• Use audio to describe complex visuals• Write lean text and audio narration

Too much essential processing

The content is so complex that it exceeds capacity

Use techniques to reduce content complexity

• Segment content• Use pretraining

Insufficient generative processing

The learner does not engage enough to learn

Incorporate methods to promote psychological engagement

• Add practice• Add relevant visuals

Key learning processes

• Selection• Retrieval • Integration• Load management

WORKING MEMORY

Pictorial Model

Verbal Model

Pictures

Words

LONG-TERM MEMORY

selecting images

selecting words

organizing images

organizing words

SENSES

Ears

Eyes

Prior Knowledge

Prior Knowledge

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION

Images

Sounds

integrating

What’s missing in this diagram?

Cues to retrieveUpdate to long-term memory

NewKnowledge

When you want to keep a cell value in a copied formula the same, you need to use an absolute cell reference. Place a dollar sign in front of the column letter and row number of the cell value you want to maintain.

Note above in column C the value in each B column will be multiplied by 10%when the formula in Cell C4 is copied to C5 –C7.

Cell B9 is designated as an absolute cell reference.

Lesson 4: Absolute Vs Relative CellUsing Spreadsheets in your Small Business

Selection, load management, integration, retrieval

Selection, load management, integration, retrieval

Instructional Complexity paper

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Instructional ComplexityHow many instructional options are there?

What’s best?

Focused practice

Distributed practice

Study examples

Test onproblems

50/50Mix

Concrete AbstractMix

Delayed No feedback

Immediate

Block topics in chapters

Interleave topics

Fade

Explain Ask for explanations

Mix

Many other choices: animations vs. diagrams vs. not, audio vs. text vs. both, …

Gradually widen

Study Test50/50 Study Test50/50Study

Concrete Mix Abstract

ImmediateNo

feedbackDelayed

Block topics in chapters

Fade Interleave topics

Explain Ask for explanations

Mix

More help,passive

More challenge, active

>315*2 = 205 trillion options!Koedinger, Booth, Klahr (2013). Instructional Complexity and the Science to Constrain It. Science.

Five Recommendations

1. Search in the “function space”2. Experimental tests of instructional function

decomposability3. Massive online multifactor studies4. Learning data infrastructure5. School-researcher partnerships

Koedinger, Booth, Klahr (2013). Instructional Complexity and the Science to Constrain It. Science.

Need better theory to guide experimentation!

• Newell: Can’t play 20 questions with nature and win

• Bradshaw: Why Wright brothers won the race to create first airplane– Others searched in design space:

what features lead to flying– They searched in the function space:

what features achieve needed functions, such as lift or thrust

Bradshaw, G. (1992). The airplane and the logic of invention. In Cognitive Models of Science.

Newell, A. (1973). You can't play 20 questions with nature and win. In Visual Information Processing.

PSLC Vision

• Why? Chasm between science & educational practice

• LearnLab = bridging infrastructure– Educational technology as scientific instrument– Science-practice collaboration structure

• Purpose: Identify the conditions that cause robust student learning

• A Key Output: KLI Framework

Memory/Fluency

1 Spacing Space practice across time > mass practice all at once2 Scaffolding Sequence instruction toward higher goals > no sequencing3 Exam expectations Students expect to be tested > no testing expected4 Testing Quiz for retrieval practice > study same material

5 Segmenting Present lesson in learner-paced segments > as a continuous unit

6 Feedback Provide feedback during learning > no feedback provided

Induction/Refinement

7 Pretraining Practice key prior skills before lesson > jump in

8 Worked example Worked examples + problem-solving practice > practice alone9 Concreteness fading Concrete to abstract representations > starting with abstract

10 Guided attention Words include cues about organization > no organization cues11 Linking Integrate instructional components > no integration12 Goldilocks Instruct at intermediate difficulty level > too hard or too easy13 Activate preconceptionsCue student's prior knowledge > no prior knowledge cues14 Feedback timing Immediate feedback on errors > delayed feedback15 Interleaving Intermix practice on different skills > block practice all at once16 Application Practice applying new knowledge > no application17 Variability Practice with varied instances > similar instances

Sense-making/

Understanding

18 Comparison Compare multiple instances > only one instance19 Multimedia Graphics + verbal descriptions > verbal descriptions alone20 Modality Verbal descriptions presented in audio > in written form21 Redundancy Verbal descriptions in audio > both audio & written

22 Spatial contiguityPresent description next to image element described > separated

23 Temporal contiguity Present audio & image element at the same time > separated24 Coherence Extraneous words, pictures, sounds excluded > included25 Anchored learning Real-world problems > abstract problems

26 Metacognition Metacognition supported > no support for metacognition27 Explanation Prompt for self-explanation > give explanation > no prompt28 Questioning Time for reflection & questioning > instruction alone29 Cognitive dissonance Present incorrect or alternate perspectives > only correct30 Interest Instruction relevant to student interests > not relevant

The Short List Koedinger, K. R., Booth, J. L., & Klahr, D. (2013). Instructional complexity and the science to constrain it. Science, 342(6161), 935-937.

For next time

By Monday: Hand in Examples AssignmentBy Tuesday:• Readings

– Full read of• Carver paper• KLI Framework, sections 1-3

– Skim Bloom’s taxonomy• Discussion board posts on readings• Quiz on KLI• Two of you will provide summaries of KLI & Bloom’s

taxonomy: Noah and ??40

Volunteers for summary on Thursday?

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