Despite the last 40 years of research showing that computer-aided diagramming tools improve student learning, very little research reveals the cognitive processes that explain why and how diagramming tools and specific features of the tools affect learning. This study developed a tool that graduate students used to diagram and analyze arguments as…

There is a close relationship between chemistry and physics in the context of atomic structure, which is usually covered in both courses at the secondary-school level. However, little emphasis has been put on determining whether the students developed correct understanding of the quantum structure when they studied it in both the courses. The…

Scholars and researchers generally believe that scientific inquiry is an important activity for cultivating students' applied knowledge and high-level thinking ability. The process of scientific inquiry can promote students' learning motivation and trigger their higher-order thinking ability. However, students may not have enough prior knowledge…

Reading skills are critical for English as a Second Language (ESL) students in higher education to achieve academic success. However, effective ways to promote student success in ESL reading courses are under-researched. Identifying factors that may enhance the quality and outcomes of learning ESL reading is essential. One such factor identified…

Confusion may benefit learning when it is resolved or partially resolved. Metacognitive strategies (MS) may help learners to resolve confusion when it occurs during learning and problem solving. This study examined the relationship between confusion and MS that students evoked in Betty's Brain, a computer-based learning-by-modelling environment…

Our goal for this article is two-fold: 1) to examine the efficacy of participatory concept mapping as an integration tool for mixed methods research (MMR), and 2) to explore, using concept mapping, pre-service teachers' epistemic cognition (EC) and its relationship to teaching orientation (TO). Using a combined developmental and dimensional…

Online learning has been widely discussed in education research, and open educational resources have become an increasingly popular way to help learners acquire knowledge. However, these resources contain massive amounts of information, making it difficult for learners to identify Web articles that refer to computer science knowledge. This study…

Two experimental studies were carried out to investigate whether adding multimedia features in a concept mapping task would improve the quality of the map built by students and promote more effective learning with expository hypertexts. Ninety-Nine undergraduates built a concept map to learn about a topic (water cycle or nitrogen cycle) either…

Generative learning strategies are intended to improve students' learning by prompting them to actively make sense of the material to be learned. But are they effective for all students? This review provides an overview of six popular generative learning strategies: concept mapping, explaining, predicting, questioning, testing, and drawing. Its…

The collection and selection of the data used in learning analytics applications deserve more attention. Optimally, selection of data should be guided by pedagogical purposes instead of data availability. Using design science research methodology, we designed an artifact to collect time-series data on students' self-regulated learning and…

Active inquiry plays a key role in science education. To facilitate children's motivation, alternate reality games are applied to engage children actively in inquiry in authentic learning contexts. However, the complexity of real-world contexts and the ambiguity of game puzzles increase the difficulty for children to conduct effective inquiries.…

The use of causal diagrams to externalize the mental representation of a problem is recognized to be an important step in solving complex problems. In geography education several global challenges taught about in class are highly complex due to the interconnectedness of many causes and consequences. A systems thinking approach might be helpful to…

Computer-assisted concept map building from provided pieces by using Kit-build is an activity which can promote comprehension and retention. However, users are burdened with searching for pieces and organizing the layout, which are believed to increase the overall cognitive load of the activity. In this paper, we describe the Airmap interface,…

It is no secret that many adult learners who enter GED® preparatory programs across the country experienced hardship and difficulty in K-12 schools. Often, many of these same students had to battle with learning disabilities such as ADD/ADHD, making school and learning an even more challenging task. Learning and concentration difficulties are…

Synthesis is one of the most cognitively demanding practices novice writers must undertake, and research demonstrates that first-year students' synthesis writing practices result in more knowledge "telling" rather than knowledge creation and transforming. Pedagogies used to teach synthesis often focus on developing text-building…