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Title: A Cognitive Model of Knowledge Transformation in Authoring Hypertext.
Creator: Ryu, Jeeheon, Baylor, Amy L., Brower, Ralph S., Driscoll, Marcy P., Dennen, Vanessa, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The primary purpose of this study was to propose a grounded theory of knowledge transformation in the hypertext authoring process. More specifically, the present study attempted to answer the following two questions: 1) what cognitive processes are involved in knowledge transformation through hypertext authoring and 2) how are these cognitive processes interrelated. For the first question, this study identified cognitive components associated with the knowledge transformation. For the second...
Show moreThe primary purpose of this study was to propose a grounded theory of knowledge transformation in the hypertext authoring process. More specifically, the present study attempted to answer the following two questions: 1) what cognitive processes are involved in knowledge transformation through hypertext authoring and 2) how are these cognitive processes interrelated. For the first question, this study identified cognitive components associated with the knowledge transformation. For the second question, this study explained how the cognitive components interact within a theoretical framework of knowledge transformation. This study was an inquiry-oriented research to investigate how learners transform their prior knowledge and what cognitive processes are occurring during the hypertext authoring process. Specifically, this study endeavored to construct a cognitive model of knowledge transformation by identifying what cognitive components constitute the knowledge transformation process and how they are structured as a model. Since there has been no systematic scrutiny of the cognitive processes of knowledge transformation in authoring hypertext, an inductive data analysis, a qualitative research method, is employed to theorize a cognitive model of how and/or what cognitive processes are occurring. This study set three stages to elaborate data collection methods and delineate the cognitive process of knowledge transformation in authoring hypertext: 1) Model Initiation Stage, 2) Model Elaboration Stage, and 3) Model Theorization Stage. These three stages compose the iterative model saturation process of this study, which was based on not only iterative data analysis and comparative analysis but also an evolutionary design approach. For the Model Initiation Stage, one Korean graduate student, who was majoring in instructional systems and enrolling in a southeast public university, participated to the initial stage. The purpose of the Model Initiation Stage was to build a preliminary model of knowledge transformation in authoring hypertext. The results of Model Initiation Stage revealed that there were two factors as causal conditions that determine the participant's cognitive process. As a second cognitive component, it was observed that the participant was prioritizing key concepts to transform his prior knowledge. For a third cognitive component, it was identified that the functions of authoring tool regulated the participant's cognitive process. The Model Elaboration Stage was directed by the findings from the Model Initial Model. Three Korean graduate students, who were majoring in instructional systems and enrolling in a southeast public university, participated in the Model Elaboration Stage. Five cognitive components were identified: 1) content knowledge, 2) causal condition, 3) internal modification of knowledge structure, 4) external representation by tool regulations, and 5) instructional knowledge. Finally, for the Model Theorization Stage six Korean graduate students participated. The outcome of the Model Theorization Stage identified six cognitive components and their relationships during knowledge transformation through an authoring tool: authoring goal, 2) content knowledge, 3) instructional knowledge, 4) preliminary modification of knowledge structure, 5) external representation by tool regulation, and 6) internal modification of the knowledge structure. Authoring goal was identified as to activate content knowledge and instructional knowledge. When participants were given the authoring goal, it activated what domain knowledge should be used for the content knowledge and how the knowledge should be organized for the instructional knowledge. Content knowledge played a role as a main resource to be transformed. Instructional knowledge was identified to an effect at an earlier stage of the knowledge transformation process. Both of content knowledge and instructional knowledge were coordinating for the preliminary modification of knowledge structure. After the authoring goal activated their content knowledge and instructional knowledge, participants were observed to begin to modify their knowledge structure for transformation. Yet, there was no mediation by the functions of an authoring tool, the modification of knowledge structure needed to remain a preliminary form of knowledge transformation. The main features of this preliminary modification of the participants' knowledge structure occurred as the following sequence: 1) comprehension of the concepts, 2) adjustment of the participants' prior knowledge of the concepts, and 3) configuration of the interrelationships of the concepts. External representation by tool regulation was identified to mediate the process of knowledge transformation. In order to externalize the modified mental representation, participants had to follow the authoring tool's functions. Consequently, the changed mental representation needed to be altered by the ways an authoring tool allowed the presenting of knowledge. Then, finally, participants could complete internal modification of their knowledge structure with working together with the external representation by tool regulation. The results of this study proposed that there were two different types of knowledge searching process during the knowledge transformation through an authoring tool: 1) concept level knowledge searching process and 2) structure level knowledge searching process. Whereas the concept level searching process is employed for a conceptual understanding, the structure level searching process is used to understand the interconnectedness of concepts. The concept level searching process is activated at the moment a concept is understood, and the process is spread out through very limited numbers nodes of semantic networks. Thus, the knowledge searching process is limited node-by-node. On the other hand, the structure level knowledge searching process is activated to scan interrelationships among concepts, and the process is spread out across the chunks of semantic networks that consist of a set of nodes.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2222
Format: Thesis

Title: Discursive Positioning Between Literacy Coaches and Teachers in an Asynchronous Online Environment.
Creator: Rawls, Erik S., Roehrig, Alysia, Turner, Jeannine, Dennen, Vanessa, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Literacy coaching is a sustained form of professional development (PD) for inservice teachers geared towards improving teachers' instructional practices, and by extension, outcomes in student learning. Many researchers have described the standards of expected behavior of coaches, which researchers refer to as coaching roles. In this study, relevant coaching behaviors include solving problems with teachers related to student learning, and using assessment data to monitor student progress and...
Show moreLiteracy coaching is a sustained form of professional development (PD) for inservice teachers geared towards improving teachers' instructional practices, and by extension, outcomes in student learning. Many researchers have described the standards of expected behavior of coaches, which researchers refer to as coaching roles. In this study, relevant coaching behaviors include solving problems with teachers related to student learning, and using assessment data to monitor student progress and to make instructional decisions. Coaches in my study received training in the Student Focused Coaching (SFC) model and worked to support two similarly effective reading intervention programs, Responsive Reading Intervention and Proactive Beginning Reading. While many researchers have investigated the roles of coaches, few published research studies have investigated how coaches perform those roles discursively (i.e., produced through speaking or writing). Using the theoretical framework of positioning theory, I explored this phenomenon by analyzing discrete elements of discourse known as positions. Whereas roles are static, positions are dynamic, which means that they can alter the course of a conversation by interacting with other discursive elements, namely speech acts and storylines. Further, I investigated how coaches perform their roles discursively in an online environment, where by design asynchronous written communication was almost exclusively the only means of communication between teachers and coaches. Thus, discourse in the form of communicating with teachers was itself an important component of the coaches' professional tasks, in addition to other tasks such as analyzing student assessment data, training teachers to do the same, and developing instructional interventions based on these data. Previous researchers have used a case study design to investigate positioning between a single coach and multiple teachers. This study used a multiple case study design to explore the positioning between coaches (n=3) and teachers (n=14) over a three year period in the online communication interface of a specially designed software called the Virtual Coach (VC). In total, there were 18 coach-teacher dyads. Two of the dyads lacked problem-solving episodes that met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis, so the analysis was limited to 16 dyads. In order to understand how coaches perform the complex tasks of their profession using discourse, I analyzed the transcripts of the interactions using open and a priori coding. The coding process included both open coding and a priori codes based on the theoretical framework of positioning theory. Discursive problem solving between coaches and teachers in the VC involved a combination of positioning, speech acts, and storylines. Coaches used discursive resources to elicit descriptions from teachers through questioning, and occasionally using unique "eyes and ears" positioning statements, where coaches positioned teachers with the responsibility to describe their instruction and students' response to instruction. Such teacher descriptions helped coaches get a picture of teachers and students in lieu of observation. These descriptions also complemented snapshots of student performance and growth captured by assessment data. High-frequency speech acts such as questioning, explaining, and describing also contributed to the different coach and teacher typologies. The three coaches displayed different discursive patterns that contributed to their unique case profiles: enthusiastic, expert and responsive. The enthusiastic coach, Ruth, had higher instances of speech acts such as using positive language and being excited; the teachers with whom she worked also used these speech acts more frequently than other teachers did. The expert coach, Olivia, used the explaining speech act more frequently than other coaches did, and she performed the role of reading expert often by explaining conceptual relationships between student reading skills. The responsive coach, Joanna, showed fewer amounts of the characteristics of the other coaches, but clearly responded to teacher requests and encouraged teachers to participate in the VC. Using performative and accountive positioning, coaches and teachers took turns asking things of one another and reciprocally fulfilling those requests. I discuss implications for practice including training for coaches to build awareness of how they position themselves and teachers during communication. Possibilities exist for future research on positioning between coaches and teachers given recent advances in videoconferencing and remote classroom observation technology. Thus, virtual or computer-mediated coaching will remain a setting for interactions between coaches and teachers, but new technology enables researchers to study either synchronous or asynchronous discourse, and to possible compare these modes of discourse with respect to teacher and/or student outcomes.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8626
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effect of Communication Strategy and Planning Intervention on the Processes and Performance of Course Material Development Teams.
Creator: Putri, Dewi A. Padmo, Johnson, Tristan E., Adams, Jonathan, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Dennen, Vanessa, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: ABSTRACT In most open and distance learning institutions, the development of learning materials, whether in print or electronic form, is created by teams consisting of people with different skills. Team communication has a critical influence on the development of team shared mental models (SMMs) as well as team performance. A review of the literature reveals a gap in our knowledge about the effects of communication on team performance in open and distance learning institutions. The purpose of...
Show moreABSTRACT In most open and distance learning institutions, the development of learning materials, whether in print or electronic form, is created by teams consisting of people with different skills. Team communication has a critical influence on the development of team shared mental models (SMMs) as well as team performance. A review of the literature reveals a gap in our knowledge about the effects of communication on team performance in open and distance learning institutions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a communication strategy and planning intervention designed to promote team communication, team SMM, team psychological state and team performance in the development of course materials in the Indonesia Open University. Sixty teams were randomly assigned to the treatment group (30 teams) and to the control group (30 teams). The study consisted of a treatment as a between subject factor (communication intervention vs. control) and several dependent variables (team communication, team SMM, team psychological components, and team performance). Team communication and team SMM were measured at the beginning, middle, and end of the projects. Team psychological components were measured at the beginning and end of the project, and team performance was measured at the end of the project. In terms of team communication, the treatment group's mean score was significantly higher than the control groups for team communication planning level and team communication planning value. The treatment group's score mean for the team SMM degree and team SMM similarity was significant higher than the control group. In team psychological components, the treatment group's mean score in team efficacy, team satisfaction, and team frustration was significantly higher than the control groups. The effect of the communication strategy and planning intervention on the team performance showed that the intervention was effective in helping teams to improve their product quality. The quality of the introduction section and the closing section produced by the treatment group was significantly higher than those of the control group, which indicates that the increased communication among the team members improved the quality of those sections, and required more time to complete. In terms of team product submission, the intervention did not lead to a better product submission.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-5086
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effect of Contrasting Analogies on Understanding of and Reasoning About Natural Selection.
Creator: Sota, Melinda, Dennen, Vanessa, Ericsson, K. Anders, Shute, Valerie, Darabi, Abbas Aubteen, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Analogies play significant roles in communication as well as in problem solving and model building in science domains. Analogies have also been incorporated into several different instructional strategies--most notably in science domains where the concepts and principles to be learned are abstract or complex. Although several instructional models for teaching with analogies have been developed, the role of non-examples or contrasting analogies has not been incorporated into instructional...
Show moreAnalogies play significant roles in communication as well as in problem solving and model building in science domains. Analogies have also been incorporated into several different instructional strategies--most notably in science domains where the concepts and principles to be learned are abstract or complex. Although several instructional models for teaching with analogies have been developed, the role of non-examples or contrasting analogies has not been incorporated into instructional models. Research on contrasting analogies as well as the effect of non-examples in concept learning supports the incorporation of contrasting analogies into instructional strategies using analogies. In addition, research on conceptual change has shown that effective instructional strategies in inducing conceptual change produce some form of cognitive conflict in the learner. Taken together, these findings suggest that a conceptual change strategy integrating contrasting analogies (non-examples) that promote cognitive conflict could be effective in promoting conceptual change. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of contrasting analogies on learning and conceptual change. Specifically, this study investigated the effect of instruction including refutational contrasting analogies (situations which are analogous to common misconceptions) on understanding of and reasoning about natural selection. Instruction including refutational contrasting analogies was compared to instruction incorporating non-refutational contrasting analogies (analogies which are neither analogous to natural selection or a common misconception of natural selection) and no contrasting analogies (stated analogies which are analogous to natural selection). Participants were students enrolled in undergraduate education courses and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: refutational contrasting analogies, non-refutational contrasting analogies, or no contrasting analogies. Participants worked through a self-instructional unit on natural selection--an area for which misconceptions have been well-documented. The effects of the analogies were evaluated in terms of student understanding of and reasoning about natural selection. Reasoning about natural selection was identified as transformational reasoning (a common but incorrect view of natural selection) or variational reasoning (consistent with correct understanding of natural selection) and was measured by performance on a posttest. Understanding of natural selection was evaluated by performance on a posttest designed to measure understanding of ten concepts related to natural selection. Analysis of variance showed no differences among groups on either understanding of or reasoning about natural selection as measured by the posttests. However, there were significant differences between groups on the analogy portion of the instructional materials, with the refutational contrasting analogies group answering fewer questions correctly than the non-refutational contrasting analogies group. This suggests that the instruction did not allow participants to reach a level of mastery that may have influenced performance on the posttests. Considerations for the design of instruction and directions for future research are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-5195
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effect of Instructional Interventions on Undergraduate Students' Responsiveness to Online Course Evaluations and the Quality of Their Feedback.
Creator: Wise, Jean-Marc, Dennen, Vanessa, Geringer, John, Keller, John, Reiser, Robert, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Online course evaluations offer a number of advantages over the traditional paper based surveys that are handed out at the end of the semester for students to provide feedback about the course and the instructor. However, low response rates to online course evaluations have kept the method from being widely adopted. Additionally, concerns about a perceived lack of quality of student feedback have led to resistance against course evaluations, especially when the results are used to make...
Show moreOnline course evaluations offer a number of advantages over the traditional paper based surveys that are handed out at the end of the semester for students to provide feedback about the course and the instructor. However, low response rates to online course evaluations have kept the method from being widely adopted. Additionally, concerns about a perceived lack of quality of student feedback have led to resistance against course evaluations, especially when the results are used to make decisions about promotion and tenure. The present study aimed at addressing the issue of low response rates and low quality of feedback by means of targeted instructional interventions. The sixteen sections of a large enrollment (N = 484), lower division course at a southeastern public research I university were randomly assigned to three groups. One group received an intervention that highlighted the benefits of course evaluations and aimed at motivating students to participate in end-of-term online course evaluations. A second intervention aimed at teaching students how to provide effective feedback in online course evaluations. A third group that did not receive any intervention served as the control for the study. The results showed that the intervention aimed at increasing participation did not have the predicted effect. On the other hand, the intervention teaching students how to provide effective feedback yielded significantly higher comment rates. The quality of the comments as measured by the length of comments in words, whether or not the comments included examples from class, suggestions for improvement, or personal comments about the instructor, did not differ among groups. For future research it is suggested to vary instructor and course properties and use media based interventions for scalability.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0923
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effects of Different Computer-Supported Collaboration Scripts on Students' Learning Processes and Outcome in a Simulation-Based Collaborative Learning Environment.
Creator: Wieland, Kristina, Dennen, Vanessa, Rayburn, Jay, Shute, Valerie, Ifenthaler, Dirk, Grisé, Philip, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State...
Show moreWieland, Kristina, Dennen, Vanessa, Rayburn, Jay, Shute, Valerie, Ifenthaler, Dirk, Grisé, Philip, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: Students benefit from collaborative learning activities, but they do not automatically reach desired learning outcomes when working together (Fischer, Kollar, Mandl, & Haake, 2007, King, 2007). Learners need instructional support to increase the quality of collaborative processes and individual learning outcomes. The core challenge is to find the right type and amount of instructional guidance to ensure that learners accomplish the intended learning goals. Instructional designers have to make...
Show moreStudents benefit from collaborative learning activities, but they do not automatically reach desired learning outcomes when working together (Fischer, Kollar, Mandl, & Haake, 2007, King, 2007). Learners need instructional support to increase the quality of collaborative processes and individual learning outcomes. The core challenge is to find the right type and amount of instructional guidance to ensure that learners accomplish the intended learning goals. Instructional designers have to make sure students stay on track and do not have superficial and off-topic discussions. At the same time, students need enough freedom for the development of valuable processes that evolve during an ongoing conversation. This means that researchers need to examine the impact of external structure (instructions) on the various elements of the learning process to design learning environments with an optimal extent of instructional support. Examining the learning process is essential because simply looking at students' outcome will not provide sufficient information about the effects of instructional guidance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different levels of instructional guidance on students' discussions and outcome in a simulation-based collaborative learning environment. Instructional guidance took the form of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) scripts. A CSCL script is a set of instructions aimed at structuring the learning process. Scripts specify, sequence, and assign activities to collaborative learners (Weinberger, 2003). The main goal of this dissertation was to contribute to the continuing development of effective instructional strategies in computer-supported collaborative settings. A simulation-based learning environment called school efficiency simulation (SEsim), was employed which required learners to collaboratively develop solutions to a complex, authentic problem. SEsim had been designed and developed as a training and research tool that focused on the quality development of schools and included instructional materials, communication tools, and a simulation. The learners' assignment was to reduce the dropout rate of a school and thus to improve its efficiency. Each round of the game simulated one school year and the simulation provided immediate feedback about the learner's performance. Forty five students from two classes from a German gymnasium (a school that is equivalent to an American high school) specializing in pedagogy participated in the study. To experimentally examine the effects of the two different CSCL scripts, students were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions implemented during the collaborative learning task. Students operating under the precise instructional guidance (PIG) treatment condition were assigned roles throughout the discussion and received precise instructions regarding the number and nature of messages to be posted. The other groups, i.e., the general instructional orientation (GIO) groups, received more general instructions and students were not asked to represent a certain role. A mixed methods research approach was used in this study to explore how the scripts would impact students' discussions and the effects on individual performance. The primary focus was set on analyzing students' discussions to explore the scripts' effects on the learning process. The rich qualitative data allowed for obtaining a detailed understanding about the students' reaction to the given instructions. The secondary purpose was set on examining a different aspect of the research problem, namely the effects of the two scripts on students' performance. First, the students' discussions were analyzed to examine how the two scripts would impact students' conversations. Also, two groups, one from the GIO treatment condition and one from the PIG treatment condition, were selected for further analysis in the form of case studies. The purpose of the data analysis was to explore what was going on in students' discussions and to allow for comparison of the two treatment conditions (PIG and GIO) with regard to the nature of students' interactions. How closely the students discussed according to the given directions in the precise instructional guidance (PIG) script was also examined. Results showed that students from the PIG groups partially followed the precise directions and for the most part represented assigned roles. Structural differences between the treatment groups were discovered. Treatment effects reflected by differences in interaction patterns were found: Students in the GIO groups more frequently asked questions and exchanged superficial information whereas students from the PIG groups made suggestions supported by personal beliefs, experiences, and information from the learning materials. Furthermore, the data analysis revealed that the two groups from the case studies employed different problem solving approaches. Second, the effects of the CSCL scripts on students' performance were examined. An independent samples t-test was used to test the hypothesis that students with precise instructional guidance (PIG treatment condition) perform better on the posttest than students receiving general instructions (GIO treatment condition). Results showed that students in the precise instructional guidance groups significantly outperformed the general instructional orientation treatment groups regarding the first outcome variable, the simulation score. There were no differences regarding the second outcome variable, the causal model similarity score. Possible explanations for the results are discussed in relation to findings from related research. Limitations of the present study are presented along with its implications. Future research will include further development of the learning environment focusing on design of adequate assessment techniques and other factors, such as motivation, which may have an impact on students' performance.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1046
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effects of Emotional Support and Cognitive Motivational Messages on Math Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Math Problem Solving.
Creator: Im, Tami, Keller, John, Seppala, Mika, Dennen, Vanessa, Ke, Fengfeng, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Math problem solving has been regarded as one of the major weaknesses in U.S. students' math performance for many years (Orabuchi, 1992). One of the main reasons that students do not perform well in math problem solving may be due to math anxiety. There has been increasing interest in math education areas on how to reduce math anxiety to enhance students' math performance. However, there were few empirical studies which examined the effects of various interventions towards decreasing math...
Show moreMath problem solving has been regarded as one of the major weaknesses in U.S. students' math performance for many years (Orabuchi, 1992). One of the main reasons that students do not perform well in math problem solving may be due to math anxiety. There has been increasing interest in math education areas on how to reduce math anxiety to enhance students' math performance. However, there were few empirical studies which examined the effects of various interventions towards decreasing math anxiety. Given the lack of empirical studies on how to reduce students' math anxiety and to increase math learning, this study examined the effects of emotional support and cognitive motivational messages on math anxiety, self-efficacy, and math problem solving. This study built upon the work done by Shen (2009) by modifying elements of his design and stimulus materials and by introducing a new independent variable: incremental ability beliefs. Thus, two independent variables - one for decreasing affective math anxiety (emotional support) and another for alleviating cognitive math anxiety (cognitive motivational messages) were used in this study. The pedagogical agents were used as a delivering method of a computer based module in this study, but not an independent variable of this study. Emotional support messages were designed to alleviate students' affective dimension of math anxiety. Emotional support messages were developed based on Shen's (2009) study, which was based on the multidimensional coping inventory (COPE) (Carver et al., 1989). In this study, emotional support messages included four scales related to emotion-focus coping, which are: positive reinterpretation and growth (RG), focus on and venting of emotions (VE), use of instrumental social support (IS), and use of emotional support (ES) from COPE (Carver et al., 1989). Emotional support messages were delivered by an instructor agent and peer agent to the emotional support group. Cognitive motivational messages were designed to reduce students' cognitive dimension of math anxiety which related to worry of performing well in mathematics. In this study, cognitive motivational messages specifically contained ability belief change messages to alleviate the cognitive dimension of math anxiety. Implicit theory separated students' ability beliefs into two categories: entity belief and incremental belief (Dweck, 1999). Incremental ability belief messages were provided to the cognitive motivational messages treatment group primarily by a scientist agent in a computer-based module with video clips and short messages which emphasize the students' abilities were not fixed and could be improved through effort. The initial idea for cognitive motivational messages came from an article "You can grow your intelligence: New research shows the brain can be developed like a muscle" which was used in previous experimental study (Blackwell et al., 2007). Thus, cognitive motivational messages were developed by the researcher based on Blackwell et al (2007)'s study and then were reviewed by an expert in motivational design. Eighty-eight GED students enrolled in GED math classes at a community college in Florida were distributed to four groups (emotional support only, cognitive motivational messages only, emotional support and cognitive motivational messages, and a control group) and asked to individually study a computer-based module about vocabulary, concepts, and formulas related to the Pythagorean Theorem for 45 to 60 minutes. Two different math anxiety questionnaires [Mathematics Anxiety Questionnaire (MAQ) (Wigfield & Meece, 1988) and Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS) (Fennema & Sherman, 1976)] were used in a pre-test and post-test. Self-efficacy questionnaires were modified to be aligned with the context of this study focusing on math problem solving using Kim's (2004) questionnaire. The math problem solving items were developed based on Shen (2009)'s items. MANOVA results indicate emotional support significantly affect the combined DV of math anxiety, self-efficacy, and math problem solving. A follow-up ANOVA revealed that emotional support had a significant effect on math anxiety and math problem solving. The emotional support group reported significantly lower math anxiety than the no emotional support group. Also, the emotional support group scored significantly higher in the post-test of math problem solving than the no emotional support group. MANOVA revealed a primary effect of cognitive motivational messages on the combined DV of math anxiety, self-efficacy, and math problem solving. A follow-up ANOVA revealed that cognitive motivational messages had a significant effect on self-efficacy. The cognitive motivational messages group reported significantly higher self-efficacy than the no cognitive motivational messages group. MANOVA revealed an interaction effect of emotional support and cognitive motivational messages on the combined DV of math anxiety, self-efficacy, and math problem solving. A follow-up ANOVA revealed that there was an interaction effect of emotional support and cognitive motivational messages on math anxiety. This study shows possibilities of adapting coping strategies as a form of emotional support and use incremental ability beliefs as the content of cognitive motivational messages. Also, the study found that pedagogical agents could be effective as a form of emotional and motivational support for students in a computer-based module. Further research studies which examine the effects of emotional support and cognitive motivational messages with different populations, subject areas, delivery medium, and long term treatment would be needed to expand the findings of this study. It is expected that further research based on this study would improve the nature of treatment and provide more solid evidence to researcher and teachers.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4924
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effects of Reusable Motivational Objects in Designing Reusable Learning Object‐Based Instruction.
Creator: Oh, Seung-Yoon, Keller, John M., Jakubowski, Elizabeth, Wager, Walt, Dennen, Vanessa, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reusable motivational objects (RMO) and a motivational design aid (MDA) on instructional designers' performance and attitude. Thirty five upper-level college students who were enrolled in a Mathematics education course were recruited and split into three groups based on their schedule availability. Each group was randomly assigned to one of three levels of independent variable: RMO with MDA condition, RMO Only condition, and Control...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reusable motivational objects (RMO) and a motivational design aid (MDA) on instructional designers' performance and attitude. Thirty five upper-level college students who were enrolled in a Mathematics education course were recruited and split into three groups based on their schedule availability. Each group was randomly assigned to one of three levels of independent variable: RMO with MDA condition, RMO Only condition, and Control condition. Participants performed a task of designing motivationally enhanced RLO-based instruction with given motivational design supports depending on their treatment level. The participants in the RMOMDA condition used an RMO repository and MDA while those in the RMO condition used only RMO repository. The control condition did not use any motivational design support. Two dependent variables include performance and attitude. Performance was efficiency score in motivational design obtained by the ratio of time spent on task to a product's score. Participants' products were graded by evaluators using a checklist. The second dependent variable of attitude was measured with the modified instructional material motivation survey administered online. In addition, two surveys that related to the RMO and MDA were conducted to measure participants' reactions to them. According to the results, the RMO significantly affected motivational design performance while MDA did not. With regard to attitude, both RMO and MDA did not show significant effects. It is presumed that participants' insufficient knowledge of instructional design, unfamiliarity to materials, and short performance time contributed to the lack of significant results. However, participants' reactions to the RMO and MDA were marginally positive in the post hoc surveys. These findings and results were discussed in relation to existing literature and supporting ideas. The major contribution of this study is that it verified the feasibility of RMO as an efficient solution for learner motivation in RLO-based instruction. Moreover, it suggested the conditions under which the MDA can be fully utilized. Based on the limitations and recommendations for further studies, a variety of research studies would be possible and those studies will improve the RMO to be practically applied.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2302
Format: Thesis

Title: An Examination of Factors Influencing Student Performance and Persistence in a Heavily-Text Based Secondary Online Learning Environment.
Creator: Seay, Cheryl Hogg, Driscoll, Marcy P., Piazza, Carolyn, Dennen, Vanessa, Reiser, Robert, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how secondary education students perform and persist in a heavily text-based online learning environment. The study explored the following research questions: 1. How does reading achievement level influence learners' performance and persistence in a heavily text-based secondary online learning environment? 2. How does student motivation influence learners' performance and persistence in a heavily text-based secondary online...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how secondary education students perform and persist in a heavily text-based online learning environment. The study explored the following research questions: 1. How does reading achievement level influence learners' performance and persistence in a heavily text-based secondary online learning environment? 2. How does student motivation influence learners' performance and persistence in a heavily text-based secondary online learning environment? 3. How does the design of online instructional materials and the learners' preferred mode of processing information influence learners' performance and persistence in a heavily text-based secondary online learning environment? 4. What are students' perceptions of instructional effectiveness and how do these perceptions influence learners' performance and persistence in a heavily text-based secondary online learning environment? 5. What are students' perceptions of school and parental support and how do these perceptions influence learners' performance and persistence in a heavily text-based secondary online learning environment? The study focused on students from low performing high schools who were enrolled in a state-required Florida Virtual School course, Life Management Course. The number of study participants was based on students enrolled in the course between August 2006 and July 2007, and a convenience sample of approximately 1,000 students were surveyed based on low-performing school enrollment data, course enrollment data and survey response rates for the Florida Virtual School. The intent of the researcher was to use a two-phase sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to better understand this phenomenon. The first phase involved, data including state-based reading assessment scores and responses to survey instruments were collected for each participant. The second phase involved learner support surveys administered to each study participant and an examination of the course in which they were enrolled. The general design of the study in this phase was a multiple-case design in which each individual participant was the unit of analysis. A cross-case analysis was conducted to identify possible patterns that emerged from the analysis of the individual participants or single case. However, due to the nature of the data collected, the qualitative aspects of data became the researcher's primary focus. The study involved two dependent variables: (1) student performance and (2) student persistence and the following independent variables: (1) student characteristics, (2) literacy skills, (3) motivation, (4) instructional design, (5) instructional effectiveness, and (6) learner support. The actual sample size for the study was 965 participants; however, there were only eight respondents. A preliminary review of the data collected revealed that there was not variance in either the performance or persistence outcomes; each of the respondents not only passed the Life Management course, but also persisted and received a course grade. Due to this lack of variance, the researcher was unable to perform statistical analysis which might establish a predictive relationship between the dependent and independent variables of the study. However, through the development of summary profiles for each of the eight respondents and descriptive data, the researcher was able to make some general observations about the individual cases and the aggregate data. Limitations and implications of the study, as well as recommendations for future research are provided.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0287
Format: Thesis

Title: Exploring Students' Mapping Behaviors and Interactive Discourses in a Case Diagnosis Problem: Sequential Analysis of Collaborative Causal Map Drawing Processes.
Creator: Lee, Woon Jee, Jeong, Allan, Marty, Paul, Shute, Valerie, Dennen, Vanessa, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of students' mapping and discourse behaviors while constructing causal maps to articulate their understanding of a complex, ill-structured problem. In this study, six graduate-level students were assigned to one of three pair groups, and each pair used the causal mapping software program, jMAP, to collaboratively construct causal maps as they discussed and worked hand-in-hand with a student peer to diagnose an instructional design problem....
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to explore the nature of students' mapping and discourse behaviors while constructing causal maps to articulate their understanding of a complex, ill-structured problem. In this study, six graduate-level students were assigned to one of three pair groups, and each pair used the causal mapping software program, jMAP, to collaboratively construct causal maps as they discussed and worked hand-in-hand with a student peer to diagnose an instructional design problem. Sequential analysis was used to analyze video recordings of each pair's computer desktop to identify typical processes and patterns of mapping and discourse behaviors used by the students. Most of all, sequential analysis was used to compare and identify differences in the sequential patterns and processes of mapping and discourse behaviors between student pairs - differences that might help to explain observed differences in the accuracy of the maps produced by the student pairs. Overall, the findings in this study revealed different behavioral patterns in the map construction process between the groups - differences that provided plausible explanations as to why some groups produced more accurate maps than others. Group 1 followed a four-step linear process of executing the major map drawing behaviors of node positioning, inserting causal links, changing link attributes, and inserting comments on a link. The pattern exhibited by Group 1's discourse revealed how one dominant student's explanations presented just prior to positioning a node and inserting links were intended to simply to announce (as opposed to initiate discussion) the next mapping action the student was about to perform on the group's causal map. As a result, Group 1 produced the least accurate map among the three groups. In contrast, Group 2 used a three-step linear but iterative process of positioning nodes, adding links, and specifying link attributes while working progressively backwards from nodes that had the most direct and/or immediate effect on the outcome variable to those that had the least direct/immediate effect. Group 2 engaged in collaborative discussions (primarily initiated by explanations presented by the more knowledgeable student) to decide where to place and link the next node, a process which produced the most accurate map among the three groups. Group 3, which produced the second most accurate map among the three groups, followed a stepwise process in which the students shared equal responsibility in positioning all or most of the nodes first (with each node positioning preceded and/or followed immediately with collaborative discourse) before placing links between the nodes. Group 3 also exhibited a pattern which suggests that nodes and links were placed to create a shared visual artifact that could then be used to explain and re-evaluate the most recent action performed on the map. The behavioral patterns and their association with map accuracy suggest two procedures to incorporate into existing causal mapping guidelines. First, encourage students to use an iterative and systematic mapping approach while working progressively backwards from the final outcome to the mediating and root causes. Second, prompt students to engage in collaborative and interrogative exchanges to share ideas and make meaningful contributions to the causal reasoning and map construction process. The main implication of this study is that these and other established causal mapping processes can now be operationally measured and tested, and most all, formalized, standardized, and built into the causal mapping software/interface to reduce individual differences in causal mapping skills. In doing so, causal mapping software may one day be used as a tool for conducting large-scale formative and summative assessments of students' understanding of complex systems. Furthermore, the methods and findings presented in this study provide ideas for future research on how to improve the process-oriented approach to studying the instructional uses of causal maps.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4975
Format: Thesis

Title: How Reflection Prompts Impact Critical Thinking Skills.
Creator: Dorn, Rebekah L., Shute, Valerie, Guthrie, Kathy, Dennen, Vanessa, Klein, James, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to compare participants' performance on an ill-structured scenario within three conditions (individual reflection, group reflection, and those who did not reflect/control) to understand if, and in which environment, the critical thinking prompts influenced the development of critical thinking skills. This was tested through a college Business course where participants in the treatment conditions were given reflection prompts (i.e., intervention) to respond to...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to compare participants' performance on an ill-structured scenario within three conditions (individual reflection, group reflection, and those who did not reflect/control) to understand if, and in which environment, the critical thinking prompts influenced the development of critical thinking skills. This was tested through a college Business course where participants in the treatment conditions were given reflection prompts (i.e., intervention) to respond to either individually (T1) or collectively (T2), prior to solving an ill-structured scenario. Participants in the control condition were not asked to engage in the reflection prompts prior to solving the scenario. In addition, at the end of each class session, the participants responded to a self-reported survey to measure their satisfaction with the activity. Results indicate that there was no difference in the performance scores when comparing those who did participate in reflection activities and those who did not; nor a difference in scores of participants in different environments. The findings do provide evidence that there were differences in critical thinking skills across time. The reflection environment does not impact the reported satisfaction. As a result of these findings, instructors should consider implementing reflection activities, not in isolated occurrences, but multiple times across an extended time period to improve critical thinking skills.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8769
Format: Thesis

Title: Learning by Restorying: A Naturalistic Case Study of an Instructional Strategy in a Master's Level Conflict Management Course.
Creator: Slabon, Wayne A., Dennen, Vanessa, Mayo, John, Reiser, Robert, Jeong, Allan, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this naturalistic case study was to investigate how an instructional strategy based on restorying promoted learning and transfer for master's level students in two sections of a conflict management course in higher education. The notion of restorying as employed in this study referred to a learner's rewriting or retelling of a personal, domain-relevant story based on the application of concepts, principles, strategies and techniques covered during a unit or course of...
Show moreThe purpose of this naturalistic case study was to investigate how an instructional strategy based on restorying promoted learning and transfer for master's level students in two sections of a conflict management course in higher education. The notion of restorying as employed in this study referred to a learner's rewriting or retelling of a personal, domain-relevant story based on the application of concepts, principles, strategies and techniques covered during a unit or course of instruction. Through a five-week series of content application assignments and a final integration paper, learners engaged in the restorying of a personal workplace conflict story which was selected from their own, professionally relevant experience base. An interpretive, phenomenological approach was employed to discern the essence of the restorying experience with the individual as the unit of analysis. This approach enabled exploration of different learners' experiences. Study participant data was obtained from course documents, student assignments, student surveys, class observations, eleven interviews and two focus groups. While the naturalistic methods coupled with the small sample size and noted threats preclude generalization of the study findings, this study may plausibly inform practice for others. The credibility, dependability, applicability, and confirmability of the data analysis and study findings were supported through rich and thick descriptions, theoretical and methodological explanations, persistent observation, triangulation of diverse data sources and multiple collection methods, member checking of transcripts, and an audit trail. To investigate learning performance, group scoring averages for the five-week series of weekly restorying assignments and final integration paper were analyzed. The group scoring averages for the weekly restorying assignments which learners initially submitted prior to class indicated achievement of stated outcomes around an 80% mastery level. With the added learning benefits from class instruction, collaborative discussion and feedback, group scoring averages on the final integration paper indicated achievement of stated outcomes around a 95% mastery level. Instructor-facilitated class discussion involving group analysis of new content application via peer and instructor story sharing was the predominant classroom strategy with course peer stories the most frequently cited source for promoting learner understanding. To investigate transfer performance, two versions of a transfer case assignment were created. One version incorporated lesser elaboration and the other greater elaboration in the case question prompts; i.e., in the level of scaffolding provided in question prompts to elicit learner thoughts and articulate explanations. Different versions were disseminated to different course sections. Group scoring averages indicated comparable achievement around an 85% or better mastery level with no significant difference in performance. These preliminary findings provide case specific evidence that the restorying method can effectively serve as a central instructional strategy for promoting learning and transfer when supporting instructional components are incorporated to maximize effectiveness. While the restorying method exhibited a number of underlying principles in common with recognized approaches from the instructional design literature--e.g., anchoring all learning tasks to a real world, complex problem that required ongoing exploration from multiple perspectives--it is clearly distinct from other approaches. The story that serves as the anchor for learning in the restorying approach is selected, written and rewritten by the learners from within their own personal experience base. Moreover, the restorying method as employed in this case emphasized new content analysis through story application and story sharing by course participants to promote domain understanding in ways that are clearly distinct from other story-based approaches. Learning by restorying broadens current understanding of how stories can be strategically employed to serve important cognitive and motivational functions in support of learning processes. The restorying approach invites us to carefully consider whose stories are being told, when are stories being told, for what purposes are stories being employed, what effects on storytellers and story listeners arise from the sharing of stories, and how might stories be employed, reflected upon, revised and redeployed to promote learning and achievement of desired outcomes. The method appears to be most suited for learning contexts that involve real world problem solving with a series of complex tasks that can be analyzed from multiple perspectives; where the learners have a sufficiently rich personal experience base with the type of problem to select a suitably robust story for analysis; where the learners possess or can be scaffolded to exhibit the requisite skills to carry out that analysis; where the class size will allow sufficient time for the weekly exchange and discussion of participant stories; and where the instructor possesses effective facilitation skills coupled with theoretical and practical knowledge of the domain
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1684
Format: Thesis

Title: The Sequential Analysis of Collaborative Writing and Editing Processes in Wikis.
Creator: Heeter, Patricia, Jeong, Allan, Sypher, Ulla, Dennen, Vanessa, Reiser, Robert, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to sequentially analyze and identify collaborative writing processes used to increase or decrease the quality of students' written arguments. The study's participants were 16 graduate students enrolled in an online course on inquiry and measurement. Every student worked on one team to analyze the arguments for using surveys and worked on one team to analyze arguments for using interview. A total of seven teams worked on the survey arguments; seven teams worked on...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to sequentially analyze and identify collaborative writing processes used to increase or decrease the quality of students' written arguments. The study's participants were 16 graduate students enrolled in an online course on inquiry and measurement. Every student worked on one team to analyze the arguments for using surveys and worked on one team to analyze arguments for using interview. A total of seven teams worked on the survey arguments; seven teams worked on the interview arguments. Each student worked with their team members using their team's own wiki to analyze and develop each argument for using surveys and interviews. The arguments produced by the students were scored by the researcher and a second coder to determine which processes performed by the consenting students produced the highest- and lowest-quality arguments. Results indicated that the collaborative writing process used by students working in teams to develop a high-quality argument in a wiki consisted of six action sequence patterns while teams producing a low-quality argument consisted of only two action sequence patterns. Given that the low-quality argument action sequences were also not observed in the processes used to produce the high-quality arguments, it is possible that these two action sequences have hindered or obstructed the processes needed to produce high-quality arguments. The findings indicate that specific action sequences and more structured collaborative writing processes may help to produce high-quality arguments. As a result, interventions should be directed at increasing the frequency of the action sequences found in this study to produce high-quality arguments which may assist students in writing higher quality arguments.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9003
Format: Thesis

Educational psychology (12)	+ -
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Florida State University (13)	+ -
Reiser, Robert (4)	+ -
Shute, Valerie (4)	+ -
Jeong, Allan (3)	+ -
Driscoll, Marcy P. (2)	+ -

Keller, John (2)	+ -
Adams, Jonathan (1)	+ -
Baylor, Amy L. (1)	+ -
Brower, Ralph S. (1)	+ -
Darabi, Abbas Aubteen (1)	+ -
Dorn, Rebekah L. (1)	+ -
Ericsson, K. Anders (1)	+ -
Geringer, John (1)	+ -
Grisé, Philip (1)	+ -
Guthrie, Kathy (1)	+ -
Heeter, Patricia (1)	+ -
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Lee, Woon Jee (1)	+ -
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