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Full-Text Articles in Education
Translating Expertise Into Effective Instruction: The Impacts Of Cognitive Task Analysis (Cta) On Lab Report Quality And Student Retention In The Biological Sciences, David F. Feldon, Briana Crotwell Timmerman, Krik A. Stowe, Richard Showman
Translating Expertise Into Effective Instruction: The Impacts Of Cognitive Task Analysis (Cta) On Lab Report Quality And Student Retention In The Biological Sciences, David F. Feldon, Briana Crotwell Timmerman, Krik A. Stowe, Richard Showman
Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications
Poor instruction has been cited as a primary cause of attrition from STEM majors and a major obstacle to learning for those who stay [Seymour and Hewitt [1997]. Talking about leaving: Why undergraduates leave the sciences. Boulder, CO: Westview]. Using a double-blind design, this study tests the hypothesis that the lack of explicit instructions in scientific inquiry skills is a major factor in both low STEM retention and academic underperformance. This project delivered supplemental instruction to students in a laboratory-based undergraduate biology course (n = 314) that was derived either from cognitive task analyses (CTAs) conducted with expert biologists (treatment) …
A Call For Performance-Based Data In The Study Of Stem Ph.D. Education, David F. Feldon, Michelle A. Maher, Briana E. Timmerman
A Call For Performance-Based Data In The Study Of Stem Ph.D. Education, David F. Feldon, Michelle A. Maher, Briana E. Timmerman
Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications
Understanding the scholarly development of Ph.D. students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is vital to the preparation of the scientific workforce. During doctoral study, students learn to be professional scientists and acquire the competencies to succeed in those roles. However, this complex process is not well studied. Research to date suffers from overreliance on a narrow range of methods that cannot provide data appropriate for addressing questions of causality or effectiveness of specific practices in doctoral education. We advocate a shift in focus from student and instructor self-report toward the use of actual performance data as a remedy …
Do Psychology Researchers Tell It Like It Is? A Microgenetic Analysis Of Research Strategies And Self-Report Accuracy, David F. Feldon
Do Psychology Researchers Tell It Like It Is? A Microgenetic Analysis Of Research Strategies And Self-Report Accuracy, David F. Feldon
Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications
Acquiring research skills is considered to be a highly challenging aspect of developing expertise in the social sciences. Because instruction and mentoring in these skills are typically grounded in the self-report of researchers, difficulties in learning the material may be due to the content and accuracy of these explanations. Using a mixed-method, microgenetic design, this study examines the explanations of problem-solving processes by researchers along a continuum of expertise during simulated experiment design and subsequent data analysis. Findings indicate that participants’ self-explanations are largely inaccurate. Further, frequency of inaccurate statements is positively associated with the frequency of abstract cognitive processes, …
Investigating The “Why” In Whypox: Explorations Of A Virtual Epidemic, Yasmin B. Kafai, Maria Quintero, David F. Feldon
Investigating The “Why” In Whypox: Explorations Of A Virtual Epidemic, Yasmin B. Kafai, Maria Quintero, David F. Feldon
Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications
Learning scientists have created and used virtual worlds to support players’ historical, scientific, and ecological inquiries. Much less explored has been the impact of community events on players’ investigations in virtual worlds. The authors present here the case of a community event Whypox, a virtual epidemic whose annual outbreak in Whyville affects players’ communication and appearance. The authors analyze the different levels of participation ranging from casual to systematic in which players searched out more information about the Whypox, participated in online discussions about its causes and investigated different scenarios with simulations. The discussion examines ethical concerns, the contributions of …