Towards the Development of the Invention Coach: a Naturalistic Study of Teacher Guidance for an Exploratory Learning Task

Effects of Object Curiosity on Exploratory Learning in Young Children

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1978.42.3.899 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 899-908 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kayoko Inagaki

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Test Performance ◽

Verbal Ability ◽

Learning Task ◽

Kindergarten Children ◽

Exploratory Learning ◽

Individual Trait ◽

Learning Test

To examine relationships between curiosity as an individual trait and the processes and products of exploratory learning, 51 kindergarten children of age six were given an object curiosity task and an exploratory learning task. The latter was designed to arouse much uncertainty or dissonance and to permit children to engage in further exploration without interference. Highly curious children, as defined by their object curiosity scores, acquired significantly more information through exploration than their low-curiosity counterparts, though they explored in only insignificantly more varied ways. This superiority of highly curious children in exploratory learning test performance remained even when the effect of verbal ability was held constant.

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Developing a Deeper Understanding of Learning Processing During Unguided Complex Learning Tasks: Implications for Language Advising

Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal ◽

10.37237/030102 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 6-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Luke Carson

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Processing ◽

Large Degree ◽

Learning Task ◽

Independent Learning ◽

Monitoring And Control ◽

Classroom Learning ◽

Complex Learning ◽

Teacher Guidance ◽

Upper Level ◽

And Control

This paper outlines a research project that is mapping cognitive, metacognitive and other processing types and their interactions in complex learning situations, specifically in learning situations without teacher guidance. It presents some examples from the findings of this project and the implications for learning advisors working with adult (tertiary level) advisees who are engaged, to a large degree, with independent forms of learning. When we look at learning occurring without instruction, we see very dynamic thinking processes that involve continuous movement between the upper and lower levels of cognitive processing. The manner of this processing differs from learning processing during classroom learning, which is highly structured and directed. As the main difference between independent learning and classroom learning is the absence of a teacher, this paper focuses on the type of processing that takes on the cognitive functions created by this absence – metacognitive processing. The data shows that, for the population in this study, all learners involved in independent learning necessarily engaged in frequent metacognitive processes, though with greater and lesser levels of success or effectiveness. This research indicates that it is not possible to complete any form of complex independent learning task without engaging in frequent upper level processing. The paper then discusses what this means for learning advisors, and how we discuss learning concepts and learning control with advisees, through ideas such as using existing knowledge, and the planning, monitoring and control of learning.

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Young children's acquisition of selected art concepts using the medium of blocks with teacher guidance

Early Child Development and Care ◽

10.1080/0300443870270102 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 19-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeffrey Gelfer ◽

Peggy Perkins

Keyword(s):

Teacher Guidance

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Epistemic and relational conflicts in sharing identical vs. complementary information during cooperative learning

Swiss Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1024//1421-0185.61.3.139 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 61 (3) ◽

pp. 139-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Céline Darnon ◽

Céline Buchs ◽

Fabrizio Butera

Keyword(s):

Cooperative Learning ◽

Social Comparison ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Learning Task ◽

Control Group ◽

Complementary Information ◽

Relational Conflict ◽

The Social ◽

The University

When interacting on a learning task, which is typical of several academic situations, individuals may experience two different motives: Understanding the problem, or showing their competences. When a conflict (confrontation of divergent propositions) emerges from this interaction, it can be solved either in an epistemic way (focused on the task) or in a relational way (focused on the social comparison of competences). The latter is believed to be detrimental for learning. Moreover, research on cooperative learning shows that when they share identical information, partners are led to compare to each other, and are less encouraged to cooperate than when they share complementary information. An epistemic vs. relational conflict vs. no conflict was provoked in dyads composed by a participant and a confederate, working either on identical or on complementary information (N = 122). Results showed that, if relational and epistemic conflicts both entailed more perceived interactions and divergence than the control group, only relational conflict entailed more perceived comparison activities and a less positive relationship than the control group. Epistemic conflict resulted in a more positive perceived relationship than the control group. As far as performance is concerned, relational conflict led to a worse learning than epistemic conflict, and - after a delay - than the control group. An interaction between the two variables on delayed performance showed that epistemic and relational conflicts were different only when working with complementary information. This study shows the importance of the quality of relationship when sharing information during cooperative learning, a crucial factor to be taken into account when planning educational settings at the university.

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Blocking Is Sensitive to Causal Structure in 4-Year-Old and 8-Year-Old Children

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169.52.4.264 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 52 (4) ◽

pp. 264-271 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tom Beckers ◽

Uschi Van den Broeck ◽

Marij Renne ◽

Stefaan Vandorpe ◽

Jan De Houwer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Associative Learning ◽

Learning Theory ◽

Causal Structure ◽

Age Groups ◽

Learning Task ◽

Contingency Learning

Abstract. In a contingency learning task, 4-year-old and 8-year-old children had to predict the outcome displayed on the back of a card on the basis of cues presented on the front. The task was embedded in either a causal or a merely predictive scenario. Within this task, either a forward blocking or a backward blocking procedure was implemented. Blocking occurred in the causal but not in the predictive scenario. Moreover, blocking was affected by the scenario to the same extent in both age groups. The pattern of results was similar for forward and backward blocking. These results suggest that even young children are sensitive to the causal structure of a contingency learning task and that the occurrence of blocking in such a task defies an explanation in terms of associative learning theory.

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