Interrelationship of knowledge, interest, and recall: Assessing a model of domain learning.

Abstract

Two experiments examined the interrelationship of subject-matter knowledge, interest, and recall in the field of human immunology/human biology and assessed cross-domain performance in the field of physics. Framed by a stage model of domain learning, cluster-analytic methods were used to group individuals on the basis of their performance on cognitive and affective measures in immunology. Resulting cluster profiles were compared with predictions expected from the stage model. Performance for students in these clusters was compared with their performance on similar measures in the field of physics. In Experiment 1, 30 premedical students and 17 graduate students in educational psychology served as participants. Results revealed 3 unique clusters of students that tended to conform to predictions of the domain learning model. Individuals' knowledge, interest, and recall of immunology generally paralleled their performance in the domain of physics. Experiment 2 sought to test and extend the findings of the initial experiment. Participants were 78 undergraduate students in education. Although 4 clusters emerged, patterns in knowledge, interest, and recall were similar to those revealed in Experiment 1.

Does concept-oriented reading instruction increase strategy use and conceptual learning from text?

“…Conceptual learning includes several types of acquisition consisting of particular features, propositions, and principles in a domain (Chi et al, 1994). Students at the highest level of conceptual learning acquire explanatory principles for phenomena and events (Alexander et al, 1996). This knowledge is active and not inert.…”

“…For example, conceptual knowledge of a topic such as adaptation includes information about species, habitats, life cycles, and evolutionary change. Particular propositions about a species and its habitat are related to each other, and broad principles form a network of understanding (Alexander, Jetton, & Kulikowich, 1996;Chi et al, 1994). From our perspective, conceptual transfer occurs when the student uses conceptual knowledge to address a new question or to solve a problem.…”

Online learning: Learner characteristics and their approaches to managing learning

“…Participants are grouped based on the similarity of their composite scores, in our case according to their behavior on the eight course activity variables. Ward's procedure has shown to effectively recover the underlying structure of the data (Alexander et al 1995).…”

Multidimensional Investigation of Deep and Surface Processing

“…The MDL posits that as an individual progresses from acclimation (the first stage of expertise in the MDL) to proficiency (the final stage of expertise the MDL) there are changes in both individuals" subject-matter knowledge and strategic processing. Empirical evidence using the MDL has suggested that there is an increase in both domain and topic knowledge through these stages of expertise development (e.g., Alexander, Jetton, & Kulikowich, 1995). Additionally, the MDL hypothesizes and empirical evidence has demonstrated that at acclimation the learner is relying primarily on surface-processing strategies, while individuals in proficiency rely primarily on deep-processing strategies (e.g., Alexander, 1997;Alexander et al, 2004).…”