20100930 - Richter, ...effective & instructionally efficient E-Learning

Beyond engagement: Instructional strategies that facilitate learners' cognitive processes and produce effective and instructionally efficient e-learning by Richter, Gina A., Ph.D., Capella University, 2008 , 175 pages; AAT 3297731 My Interest: 1) Effectiveness. 2) Instructionally efficient. 3) E-Learning. Action: Medium-low priority to read specific parts of Dissertation in future. Motivation Interactivity has been a focus of e-learning since its inception and remains a critical topic today. However, the technology component of interactivity has often taken center stage with less focus on the learner and the benefits interactivity can have on the learning process. This is despite consistent research (e.g., Hooper & Hannafin, 1991; Kennedy, 2004) that reinforces the idea that instruction will be effective, enjoyable, and intrinsically motivating only if it is interactive at the cognitive level (regardless of modality). Within the corporate environment specifically, there is little evidence of the impact of interactions on enhancing cognition. Research Goal Within this context, the purpose of this study was to implement instructional strategies that facilitate cognitive processes and apply cognitive load theory in order to create an effective and instructionally efficient e-learning course. Methodology Using a series of theory-based interactions embedded within an e-learning course, 2 sets of data were collected. The first set was the performance scores to determine the effectiveness of the e-learning course and the interactions. This data was collected during 5 learner-content interactions, 3 workplace scenarios, and a posttest. The second set of data consisted of the mental effort scores collected immediately following each scored learner-content interaction, workplace scenario, and the posttest. This data was used along with the performance scores to determine the instructional efficiency of each interaction and the elearning course, through the application of both the 2-dimensional and 3- dimensional efficiency metrics (Tuovinen & Paas, 2004). Unlike previous comparison studies, this study explored the impact of designing an entire course, which included instructional strategies that facilitated cognitive processes and applied cognitive load theory. Results Discussion The results of this study supported the notion that the application of instructional strategies that facilitate cognitive processes and apply cognitive load theory enable learners to achieve learning outcomes and result in an instructionally efficient e-learning course. The results also support the idea that through the application of these instructional strategies, learners are able to apply the principles learned within simulated workplace scenarios. However, the results for each interaction specific to the 2-dimensional instructional efficiency rating were not as clear-cut. The idea that these instructional strategies would enable instructionally efficient interactions was rejected for 4 of the interactions within the e-learning course when the 2-dimensional instructional efficiency metric was applied. These same interactions produced positive 3-dimensional instructional efficiency ratings indicating that these interactions in fact were or could be deemed instructionally efficient, according to this metric. CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 19 Introduction 19 Cognitive Load Theory 20 Interface Design 23 Interactivity Constructs 24 Cognitive Processes and Instructional Theory 34 Summary 52 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 53 Introduction 53 Research Design 56 Sampling 59 Variables 60 Research Instruments and Data Collection Devices 63 Data Analysis 82 Confidentiality 84 Summary 84