Visualizing Feedback: Using Graphical Cues to Promote Self-Regulated Learning

Visualizing Feedback: Using Graphical Cues to Promote Self-Regulated Learning Lisa Ferrara (lisa.ferrara@utah.edu) Department of Educational Psychology, 1705 Campus Center Dr, MBH 327 Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA Kirsten R. Butcher (kirsten.butcher@utah.edu) Department of Educational Psychology, 1705 Campus Center Dr, MBH 327 Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA Abstract Self-Regulated Learning in Online Environments We examined whether the addition of graphical cues on a concept map could promote self-regulated learning with online materials. College-aged students were provided with concept map visualizations to guide revisions of a scientific essay. These visualizations varied in their use of two graphical cues: color-coded nodes that indicated error types and size-scaled nodes that indicated the importance of domain ideas. Metacognitive strategies were assessed using students’ self-reported visualization use and essay changes. Learning was assessed via true/false items, short answer questions, and self-generated concept maps. Results indicated that color- coding promoted better revision strategies, and both graphical cues supported deeper understanding of domain content compared to a typical concept map display. Implications are discussed for visual display designs that provide meaningful feedback during online learning. Keywords: visualization; graphical display; self-regulated learning; multimedia; online learning Introduction Prior research has demonstrated that students experience many challenges in regulating their own learning in online environments (e.g., Azevedo, Guthrie, & Seibert, 2004). Because these online environments are inherently nonlinear and user-controlled, effective learning requires students to plan, monitor, and reflect in meaningful ways as they work with Web materials (e.g., Williams, 1996). Significant challenges remain in finding instructional strategies and materials that will support learners in the cognitive and metacognitive processes necessary to promote effective self- regulated, online learning. In this research we explored the potential benefits of using graphical cues (e.g., color-coding and size-scaled nodes) in concept maps to help guide students in effective self-regulated learning with online resources. Concept maps may serve as an effective advanced organizer for online learning, because they depict a coherent conceptual structure that may be difficult to extract from unorganized, online content. Prior research has shown that, for a given set of learning materials, concept map visualizations enhance the saliency of text macrostructures (O'Donnell, Dansereau, & Hall, 2002). Although concept maps have repeatedly been shown to enhance recall of main ideas from text, there has been little evidence that these visualizations can support knowledge transfer or effective metacognitive processing during learning. Online learning involves comprehension across many media-rich resources presented in a non-linear environment. Learning online (i.e., from the Web) is a complex task that involves both information search and retrieval (e.g., Marchionini, 1995, 2006) and comprehension of a variety of materials that lack overall coherence (e.g., Lynch, 2008). Searching for information online is a self-regulatory challenge because (among other demands) it requires planning a search strategy based upon individual learning goals. Assuming that students are able to complete the difficult task of finding and selecting relevant Web-based materials, they then face the challenge of successfully regulating their learning processes in order to develop meaningful domain understanding from the online resources themselves (e.g., Azevedo, Guthrie, & Seibert, 2004; Winne & Perry, 2000). Part of this self-regulated learning challenge is that learners must manage multiple, competing cognitive demands as they work with online materials. In the next section, we discuss the cognitive processes associated with self-regulated learning. Processes of Self-Regulated Learning In online learning environments, students must make learning decisions (e.g., what are the most important ideas/concepts), plan how to learn targeted information, and constantly monitor their developing understanding (Williams, 1996). To effectively self-regulate, learners must monitor their knowledge development as they engage in planning effective learning strategies – overall, they must be strategic in these efforts, knowing when and how to adapt these strategies to match cognitive, motivational, and task conditions (e.g., Winne, Research has revealed that learners typically demonstrate great difficulty in self-regulating their learning when using online environments to learn about complex topics, such as science; in the face of these challenges learners sometimes experience little overall knowledge gain even after online study (e.g., Azevedo & Cromley, 2004). Less effective learners in these online environments frequently lack effective planning, goal setting, monitoring of understanding, effective strategy use, and reflection on their overall learning progress. In this research, we were particularly interested in effective planning during self-regulated, online learning. Planning is an important part of online learning because it