Learning the control of variables strategy in higher and lower achieving classrooms: Contributions of explicit instruction and experimentation.

Lorch, Robert F.; Lorch, Elizabeth Pugzles; Calderhead, William J.; Dunlap, Emily E.; Hodell, Emily C.; Freer, Benjamin D.

doi:10.1037/a0017972

Cited by 81 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In this paradigm, one variable should be manipulated while the others remain constant, to facilitate interpretation of the results (Lazonder and Egberink 2014;Lorch et al 2010). Nonetheless, this approach makes creative ideas more difficult to be selected for students (Rietzschel et al 2010).…”

Section: Stem Instructions Creativity and Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Highly Scaffolded Versus General Instruction on Students’ Exploratory Behavior and Arousal

Blikstein¹,

Gomes

Akiba

et al. 2016

Tech Know Learn

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Technology is changing the way students interact with knowledge, and openended activities are one of the main types of tasks that students engage with in technologyrich environments. However, the amount of guidance needed to promote learning in these environments remains unknown. We explore this issue by focusing on the effects of stepby-step versus generic instructions on student's exploratory behavior and arousal levels. In this experiment, students completed three computer-based activities within a physics simulation software: building a tower, building a bridge and a free task. We did not find any effect of our experimental manipulation on students' task performance. We found, however, that detailed instruction induced higher level of activation followed by a relaxation phase and a recovery of the activation level in the last segment of the task (U-shaped curve). On the other hand, generic instructions seemed to lead students into a continuous relaxation pattern along the task (decreasing slope). Moreover, low and high-aroused students appear to be affected by the instructions differently, with high-aroused students at baseline showing less cognitive flexibility. Finally, we observed carryover effects, where types of instruction kept influencing students' levels of activation in a following openended task. We discuss implications of those results for designing learning activities in constructionist, technology-rich environments.

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Section: Stem Instructions Creativity and Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Highly Scaffolded Versus General Instruction on Students’ Exploratory Behavior and Arousal

Blikstein¹,

Gomes

Akiba

et al. 2016

Tech Know Learn

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It is difficult to translate a laboratory method into the practical setting of the classroom (e.g. class organisation), and the central aim is focussed on conceptual understanding (Lorch, et al, 2008;Zohar & Barzilai, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Children do not do this automatically (e.g. Klahr & Nigam, 2003;Lorch et al, 2008;Chen & Klahr, 1999;Masnick & Klahr, 2011). Sometimes children may focus on the wrong variable or they may vary more than one variable at a time, which results in incorrect and inconsistent conclusions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Classroom: Teaching Science in Early Childhood*

Dejonckheere¹,

Wit²,

Keere³

et al. 2016

EUROPEAN J ED RES

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This study tested and integrated the effects of an inquiry-based didactic method for preschool science in a real practical classroom setting. Four preschool classrooms participated in the experiment (N = 57) and the children were 4-6 years old. In order to assess children's attention for causal events and their understanding at the level of scientific reasoning skills, we designed a simple task in which a need for information gain was created. Compared to controls, children in the post-test showed significant learning gains in the development of the so-called control of variables strategy. Indeed, they executed more informative and less uninformative explorations during their spontaneous play. Furthermore, the importance of such programmes was discussed in the field of STEM education.

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“…In direct instruction, there is a clear role for a teacher, often actively pointing out effective examples as compared to ineffective ones, or directly teaching a strategy to apply to new examples. And, indeed, there is evidence that more direct guidance to test variables systematically can help students in learning, particularly in the ability to apply their knowledge to new contexts (e.g., Klahr & Nigam, 2004;Lorch et al, 2010;Strand-Cary & Klahr, 2008). There is also evidence that scaffolded discovery learning can be effective (e.g., Alfieri, Brooks, Adrich, & Tenenbaum, 2011).…”

Section: Encodingmentioning

confidence: 99%