ERIC Number: ED524737
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Oct-5
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Designing Worked Examples in Statics to Promote an Expert Stance: Working THRU vs. Working OUT
Calfee, Robert; Stahovich, Thomas
Online Submission, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, LA, Apr 8-12, 2011)
The purpose of this study was to examine the performance patterns of freshman engineering students as they completed a tutorial on freebody problems that employed a computer-based pen (CBP) to provide feedback and direct learning. A secondary analysis was conducted on detailed performance data for 16 participants from a freshman Engineering course in Statics. The study included a Pretest, Tutorial, Transfer test, and Retest; this paper describes performance during the Pretest and Tutorial segments of the study. Each segment included sections on Freebody drawing and Equation writing; the secondary analysis was conducted on the Freebody drawing. The time data were examined for patterns related to study, drawing, and Help requests. The participants were divided into two groups based on contrasts in timing patterns; Work-Thru learners and Work-Out learners: Work THRU--Spends significant time studying instructions and reading the problem; Refers to instructions and previous work frequently during the task; Uses hints and help selectively; Studies mistakes carefully; seldom repeats vs. Work OUT--Skims quickly through instruction; Goes to work quickly on a problem; Uses hints/help frequently to move past barriers; Learns little from mistakes, which are often repeated. The findings are interpreted within a conceptual framework featuring the expert stance, the notion that a novice learner adopts practices and attitudes typical of an expert. Implications are considered for employing the CBP [computer-based pen] platform to provide guidance toward an expert stance during early acquisition of the freebody concept, as one part of an enhanced instructional program for effective and efficient learning. (Contains 6 figures and 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Feedback (Response), Pretests Posttests, Instructional Effectiveness, Guidance, Engineering Education, College Freshmen, Computer Assisted Instruction, Transfer of Training, Expertise, Problem Solving, Novices, Educational Technology, Computer Peripherals, Computer Interfaces, Scientific Concepts
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A