Digital Commons Network^™

Learning Chinese Characters And German Words Using Multimedia, Cheuk Yue Fung

Master's Theses

This study applies cognitive theory of multimedia learning and cognitive load theory to foreign language learning and examines in what conditions English-speakers benefit most from multimedia instruction. Sixty-four English-speaking college students learned either German words or Chinese characters. The reason for comparing these two languages is to assess the differences between low-knowledge and high-knowledge learners. We assume English-speakers have a better linguistic knowledge for learning German words than Chinese characters, because of the closer relationship between English and German languages than between English and Chinese languages. There were four cue conditions in which participants received either no cue, a verbal …

Teachers Learning To Teach: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Lived Experience Of Cognitive Load For Novice Teachers, Mark Hebert

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Cognitive load is a relevant phenomenon experienced by novice teachers moment-to-moment in complex classroom environments. Teachers learning to teach within the classroom daily encounter mental workload, but the latter has played little part in learning design for teachers, although other professions demanding complex performanes have made use of Cognitive Load Theory and Cognitive Task Analysis for learning design and for the reduction of cognitive load. Exploration of the lived experience of cognitive load was the focus of this study. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the limits of mental capacity and the mental liberty experienced by teachers …

Decision Making In The Sciences: Understanding Heuristic Use By Students In Problem Solving, Elizabeth Csikar

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of heuristics by students and gain insight into the thought process behind their problem-solving skills. The study used an adaptive narrative as the information delivery medium. An adaptive narrative was chosen because it could be designed to simulate decision making processes encountered in real world situations. Students enrolled in an introductory biology major class were chosen for the study because their fields of interest all require complex problem solving and decision-making skills. It was of interest to investigate what decisions were made when heuristics were given and how that may …

The Truthiness Effect: The Influence Of Nonprobative Photos On Truth Judgments, Laura N. Mangus

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Truthiness is used to describe a person’s instinctive and rapid judgment about the truth of a claim, with no regard to logic or fact. Recent research has shown that a photo can influence a person to believe a claim is true, even if the photo used is non-probative. This effect is hypothesized to occur because photographs make claims easier to process while also enabling one to retrieve related thoughts and images to mind, which can then be mistaken for familiarity and truth (Newman, Garry, Bernstein, Kantner, & Lindsay, 2012). Cognitive load and response time manipulation were factors that had not …

Human Systems Integration Of An Extravehicular Activity Space Suit Augmented Reality Display System, Paromita Mitra

Theses and Dissertations

During an extravehicular activity (EVA), the role of an astronaut involves a multitude of complex tasks. Whether that task is a science experiment aboard the International Space Station, or traversing extraterrestrial terrain – attention, communication, and instruction are essential. As an aid, augmented reality (AR) can portray suit informatics and procedures within line-of-sight while minimizing attentional loss. Currently, there exists little research highlighting the human systems considerations to qualify AR systems for space suit applications. This study quantifies user interface (UI) and human performance measures for an AR prototype on the Mark III space suit. For user testing, 21 military …

Differences In Gesticulation: A Mixed-Methods Approach To Gesture Differences Between First- And Second-Language Speech Output Among Advanced-Level Spanish/English Bilinguals, Dustin J. Hemsath

Theses and Dissertations

Hand gestures during speech lighten the speaker's cognitive load, provide lexical access, augment the precision of memory, and identify when a speaker is ready to learn a new skill (Abner, Cooperrider, Goldin-Meadow, 2015). Much of the research that has discovered these purposes of gesture have focused on gestures produced during speech in the speaker's first language. Many researchers use these findings to argue for the same cognitive benefits of gesture in the second language, though only little research of gesture and second language speech has been done. The present study sought to fill the gap between first and second language …

Teaching Neuroanatomy Virtually: Integrating An Interactive 3d E-Learning Resource For Enhanced Neuroanatomy Education, Lauren Allen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An interactive 3D e-learning module was developed to complement neuroanatomy instruction in both an undergraduate medicine neuroanatomy laboratory course, and an undergraduate systemic human anatomy course. The 3D e-learning resource provided students the opportunity to manipulate a dynamic 3D model to view structures from any desired angle, view deep cortical structures at high magnification, and add interactive structural labels. The study utilized a cross-over design, to separate participants into two groups. Each group completed baseline anatomy knowledge and spatial ability knowledge assessments, followed by access to either the 3D e-learning module or conventional learning resources. Participants completed a post-module anatomy …

Assessing The Influence Of Variable Cognitive Load On Fatigue Development And Recovery Of The First Dorsal Interosseous Muscle, Sidharajsinh Jadeja

Theses

Localized muscle fatigue (LMF) has been associated to many adverse effects on human performance and the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). While the development of LMF can be dependent on several factors, the influence of cognitive demands is still uncertain. This study analyzed the influence of varying levels of cognitive load for a simple biomechanical system involving static exertions at a moderate level (25% of maximum voluntary capacity). Participants performed 1-hour sessions of intermittent isometric abductions of the index finger for four experimental conditions including passive rest and added cognitive load in the form of an arithmetic task. Both …

Teaching Complex Content In Healthcare: A Comparison Of The Effect Of Three Types Of Multimedia Pretraining On Schematic Knowledge And Near Transfer, Melisa Patrice Kaye

Doctoral Dissertations

Challenged to teach complex content to students, university educators in healthcare disciplines face a practical need for effective pedagogical approaches. The preponderance of multimedia and digital resources in and beyond college classrooms suggests that solutions to teaching complex content should leverage educational technology and multimedia resources. The multimedia principle of pretraining is one effective way to augment complex content learning. The pretraining principle specifies that learning is more effective when the names and characteristics of main terms and concepts are introduced before more nuanced and complex content is presented.

The purpose of this study was to investigate three approaches to …

Investigating Application Of The Self-Explanation Learning Strategy During An Instructional Simulation, Paul Michael Macloughlin

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Computer-based simulations effectively support the acquisition of scientific knowledge when combined with a guided learning approach. Active learning drives complex cognitive processes that enable the integration of new information with existing knowledge. The iCAP (Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive) Framework provides a conceptual model to describe different types of active learning. Computer-based simulations fit neatly within this framework. Similarly, self-explanation is a generative learning strategy that fits within this framework. Promoting self-explanation using instructional prompts is an effective method for driving application of the strategy. This study compared three combinations of self-explanation prompt and learner activity (closed prompts – overt activity, …

Instructional Designer Awareness And Application Of Strategies To Manage Cognitive Load, Justin A. Sentz

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how practicing instructional designers manage cognitive load in a standardized scenario as they select and implement instructional strategies, message design, content sequencing, and delivery media within various domains with learners at different levels of expertise. The study employed a quasi-experimental, mixed methods design to gain insight into how practicing instructional designers perceive their awareness of strategies to manage cognitive load and implement those strategies within a standardized design scenario. The research design involved the collection of quantitative data from the participants during an initial web-based questionnaire and a second collection of both quantitative and qualitative data as …

Using Physiological Measures To Measure Changes In Cognitive Load Associated With Automaticity And Transfer, Joanna Verden

Theses : Honours

This study investigated the ability of two physiological measures, galvanic skin response and heat flux, to reflect changes in cognitive load using a variation of the dot counting task developed by Lassaline and Logan (1993). Concurrently, the robustness of the dual processing theory of automaticity was evaluated via disruption. The utilised task was designed to create a shift from controlled to automatic processing via practice, followed by a return to controlled processing via the introduction of a 6-digit memory recognition task designed to increase working-memory load and disrupt automaticity. As reaction time has previously been demonstrated to be a reliable …