problem solving & educational technology lab
Active Projects
Ordering examples
The order in which learners study examples and solve sample problems can influence how easily they learn the material and the extent to which they retain the material. By identifying the components of the task and ordering those components according to instructional design principles, instructors should be able to order examples to facilitate learning.
Mental workload
In general, mental workload refers to the amount of cognitive processing that is exerted in order to complete a task. Mental workload is an important consideration for engineering psychologists and instructional designers; a task that is elicits higher mental workload can fatigue a learner or operator and potentially retard learning or performance. However, under some conditions mental workload is a good thing (e.g., active processing or deeper encoding). Our research on mental workload focuses on subjective measures of mental workload, the validity of these measures, and whether these measures can predict differences in rates of learning.
Probability Training Materials
Many educators suggest that worked examples should be designed to convey problem categories and category-specific solution procedures. When faced with a problem to solve, students can then first categorize it and then apply the solution procedure appropriate for that category. However, we propose that instructional examples should be designed in a way that supports the understanding of relations between structural problem features and individual solution steps, i.e. relations that hold below the category level. This approach is more flexible, that is, it allows learners to solve problems that are not just like the examples they studied. We have found evidence that category-avoiding examples reduce cognitive load during learning and that they foster subsequent problem-solving performance.
Multimedia Learning
Multimedia instructional materials leverage technology to replace instructional text with narrations. This can provide cognitive advantages and disadvantages to learners. The goal of this research is to develop and refine principles of information design that take into account human information processing strengths and weaknesses. Past research in educational psychology has focused on facilitating learning by presenting information in two modalities (auditory and visual) to increase perceptual information flow. It is possible that effects might also occur during cognitive manipulations such as when a learner stores information or associates facts. This research separates perceptual information effects from those of cognitive operations by presenting auditory and visual information separately. Effects that remain are not purely perceptual effects. Effective information design should consider both physical and mental representations.
Optimal Graph Study
People often have trouble finding the right information when looking at graphs. A clear understanding of which display is best suited for various types of information enhances the efficiency and accuracy of the user's task. This study attempts to analyze the nature of a range of tasks by decoupling the representing dimension (graph type) and the represented dimension (information type).
Past Projects
Algorithm Animations
Animations of computer science algorithms have an intuitive appeal to instructors and learners. However, to date, no strong evidence has indicated that animated presentations of the algorithms improve the student's understanding. We are interested in whether cognitive theories of learning can successfully inform the redesign of animations. For example, we have investigated the effect of learner involvement in example creation on novices learning about binomial heaps via algorithm animations.
