This study tested competing theories about the effectiveness of different instructional sequences for learners with different levels of prior knowledge. Across two classroom experiments, undergraduates learned about noncovalent interactions in biochemistry by either receiving explicit instruction before problem-solving (I-PS group) or engaging in…

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of gamification on the five dimensions of meaningful learning (i.e. cooperative, active, authentic, constructive and intentional learning) and undergraduate student performance taking online lessons. Design/methodology/approach: Therefore, the authors conducted an experiment among undergraduate…

Background and purpose of the study: STEM learning often involves a multitude of complex and abstract concepts and ideas that can be challenging for students to comprehend. Research suggests that the oral and visual representations in video lectures can maximize students' cognitive infrastructure, helping them to organize knowledge more…

Despite the push for all institutions of higher learning to embrace a corequisite model for writing instruction, there is limited evidence that suggests this model is desirable for all students. This study seeks to expand our understanding of the characteristics of students enrolled in Basic Writing at a 4-year comprehensive university, and the…

This study proposed a game-based flipped teaching approach and applied it to a HTML (HyperText Markup Language) course. We developed two versions of the pre-class content testing, one of which was game-based, using a "looking-through" game, and the other which was traditional, using a multiple-choice test. We conducted a teaching…

Introductory science courses can be a struggle for instructors and students not only because of the challenging nature of the material, but also due to differences in the background knowledge of students. Provision of pre-lecture resources reviewing or introducing key concepts is recommended to support diverse students. In this paper, we describe…

Given the importance of digital technology in daily life, computational thinking (CT) has become a necessary skill for everyone, not just for computer scientists. For CT development, students need to receive appropriate social learning support. However, instructors find it difficult to provide such support to many students in online courses. This…

Traditional approaches to teaching and learning in large undergraduate STEM lectures has not kept pace with the massification and diversification of higher education. Efforts to alleviate learning obstacles call for improved instruction, stipulating the utility of specific pedagogical techniques delineated as "promising practices";…

Pregraduate students often have low success expectations toward their thermodynamics courses, which are often considered too abstract and remarkably difficult to understand. For this reason, they may not even try to reach any level of comprehension while settling for reproducing mathematical calculations and memorizing definitions to pass the…

Faded worked examples have been used to promote problem solving performance, such as mathematics performance in many laboratory studies and short-term classroom studies. However, few studies have examined the ways educators may use fading in their own classroom on more accessible platforms that do not require programming experience. Further, few…

This study explored the effects of prior knowledge and cueing on the learning (retention, transfer, and matching) and mental effort of learners who studied an instructional animation with accompanying narration about photosynthesis. A 4 × 2 between-subjects factorial design with four levels of cueing (no cueing, label cueing, picture cueing, and…

There is widespread evidence showing that concept maps are effective for learning. However, little is known about the effects of various concept map activities. We conducted an experiment to examine the comparative effectiveness of three concept map activities: (1) translating a complete map to a paragraph format; (2) filling in concepts in a…

This qualitative study investigated pre-service teachers' perceptions toward co-teaching after experiencing co-taught sessions within a special education methods class and literacy methods class. For two semesters, participants included cohort groups in a dual teacher license program in elementary and special education. We gathered information…

This research study sought to determine whether pre-reading assignments have an impact on a student's academic performance. Learning a new topic which oftentimes seems foreign is never easy. However, reading a short article or reviewing a slide-show presentation on the lecture topic before the lecture happens (otherwise known as a pre-reading…

Over 40 years of research, concept maps have shown that they are beneficial for learning. However, much of this research has been conducted in laboratory settings. Although there are a few studies conducted in the classroom, there is little understanding of the instructional efficacy of using different types of concept maps. In a between-subjects…