Using Cognitive Science to improve E-learning

Joseph Jay WilliamsJoseph_williams AT berkeley DOT

eduwww.JosephJayWilliams.com

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Education Research Landscape

• Qualitative analyses• Quantitative studies & policy analysis• Cognitive Science: Experiments to assess

different instructional strategies• E-learning <--------> Cognitive Science

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Preview

• Learning: “Adding” vs. “Integrating” information.• Before: Ask questions to get Problem-based

learning.• During: Request Explanations & Comparisons.• After: Use assessments as instructional tools via

the Testing Effect and Mixing Effect.• Increase motivation via a Growth Theory of

intelligence.• www.josephjaywilliams.com/education

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Learning: Adding information?

• Bucket model of the mind

• “Instructionism”

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Learning for Transfer: Integrating information

• Adding a new webpage to the internet

BEFORE DURING AFTER

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Before: Start with Questions & Problems

• Problem Based Learning (Hmelo-Silver, 2006; Schwartz, 1998)

How do you…?Is it possible to…?

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During: Request explanations

• Prompt people to explain “Why?”• Go beyond memorizing, to understand

general principles (Williams & Lombrozo, 2010; 2012)

Why is that a good solution?Why is it true that…?Why is it a mistake to…?

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During: Request comparisons• Single example or case study• Compare multiple examples to grasp core

principle (Gentner et al, 2003; Star & Rittle-Johnson, 2010)

What are the similarities between these?How are they different?

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• The “Testing Effect” (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006)

After: Use Assessments as Instructional Tools

Immediate test: Study+Study ~= Study+TestAfter hours, days, weeks: Study+Study < Study+Test

Learners claim: Study+Study > Study+Test 9

After: Efficient Assessments use Mixing Effect

• Mixing Effect (Rohrer, 2009)

• Ten Benefits of Testing (Roediger et al, 2012)

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Increasing motivation

• Change their beliefs about intelligence (Dweck, 2006; Paunesku, Romero et al, 2012)

• Do you agree that…– Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you

can’t change very much. (Fixed Theory).– No matter how much intelligence you have, you can always

change it quite a bit. (Growth Theory).• Emphasizing Growth theory: Work harder &

learn from mistakes.• 2 lessons on Growth Theory boosts student GPA.

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Review• Learning: “Adding” vs. “Integrating” information.• Before: Ask questions to get Problem-based

learning.• During: Request Explanations & Comparisons.• After: Use assessments as instructional tools via

the Testing Effect and Mixing Effect.• Increase motivation via a Growth Theory of

intelligence.• www.josephjaywilliams.com/education• Joseph_Williams A T berkeley D O T edu

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