VISUAL THINKING NETWORKING PROMOTES LONG TERM

419 Pages·2012·11.73 MB·English

VISUAL THINKING NETWORKING PROMOTES

LONG TERM MEANINGFUL LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT

FOR 9TH GRADE EARTH SCIENCE STUDENTS

by

Palma Joni Longo

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
under the Executive Committee of The Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences
Columbia University

2001
© 2001

Palma Joni Longo
All Rights Reserved
ABSTRACT

VISUAL THINKING NETWORKING PROMOTES

LONG TERM MEANINGFUL LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT

FOR 9TH GRADE EARTH SCIENCE STUDENTS

Palma J. Longo
O.R. Anderson, Sponsor

An experimental and interview-based design was used to test the efficacy of
visual thinking networking (VTN), a new generation of metacognitive learning strategies.
Students constructed network diagrams using semantic and figural elements to represent
knowledge relationships. The findings indicated the importance of using color in VTN
strategies. The use of color promoted the encoding and reconstruction of earth science
knowledge in memory and enhanced higher order thinking skills of problem solving.
Fifty-six ninth grade earth science students (13-15 years of age) in a suburban
school district outside New York City were randomly assigned to three classes with the
same instructor. Five major positive findings emerged in the areas of problem solving
achievement, organization of knowledge in memory, problem solving strategy
dimensionality, conceptual understanding, and gender differences.
A multi-covariate analysis was conducted on the pre-post gain scores of the
AGI/NSTA Earth Science Examination (Part 1). Students who used the color VTN
strategies had a significantly higher mean gain score on the problem solving criterion
test items than students who used the black/white VTN (p = .003) and the writing
strategies for learning science (p < .001). During a think-out-loud problem solving
interview, students who used the color VTN strategies: (1) significantly recalled
more earth science knowledge than students who used the black/white VTN (p = .021)
and the writing strategies (p < .001); (2) significantly recalled more interrelated earth
science knowledge than students who used black/white VTN strategies (p = .048) and the
writing strategy (p < .001); (3) significantly used a greater number of action verbs than
students who used the writing strategy (p = .033). Students with low abstract reasoning
aptitude who used the color VTNs had a significantly higher mean number of
conceptually accurate propositions than students who used the black/white VTN
(p = .018) and the writing strategies (p = .010). Gender influenced the choice of VTN
strategy. Females used significantly more color VTN strategies, while males used
predominately black/white VTN strategies (p = .01).
A neurocognitive model, the encoding activation theory of the anterior cingulate
(ENACT-AC), is proposed as an explanation for these findings.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables ............................................................................................................. xv

List of Figures ........................................................................................................... xxv

Acknowledgments...................................................................................................... xxviii

Chapter Page

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE INQUIRY ............................................................. 1

The Need for the Inquiry ............................................................................... 3

Knowledge Claims Critique .................................................................... 4

Methodological Critique ......................................................................... 5

Conceptual Backing Critique .................................................................. 6

The Construction of Knowledge ....................................................... 6

Conceptual Frameworks Derived from Old
Neuroscience Perspectives ................................................................ 7

The Purpose of the Inquiry ........................................................................... 9

Definition of Terms ............................................................................... 10

Research Questions ...................................................................................... 12

General Research Question ..................................................................... 12

The Experimental Design: Main Research Question #1 ......................... 13

Specific Research Questions .............................................................. 13

The Experimental Design: Main Research Question #2 ......................... 15

Specific Research Questions .............................................................. 15

The Interview-Based Design: Main Research Question #3 .................... 16

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Chapter Page

Specific Research Questions .............................................................. 16

The Interview-Based Design: Main Research Question #4 .................... 16

Specific Research Questions .............................................................. 16

Hypotheses ..................................................................................................... 17

Hypotheses Derived from the Experimental Design:
Main Research Questions #1 ................................................................... 17

Hypotheses Derived from the Experimental Design:
Main Research Question #2 ..................................................................... 19

Assumptions Guiding the Inquiry .................................................................. 19

Significance of the Inquiry............................................................................. 20

Summary ........................................................................................................ 20

II. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................... 22

Neurocognitive Science ................................................................................ 22

Introduction ............................................................................................. 22

Overview ................................................................................................ 23

Summary of Empirical Findings from Neurocognitive Science ........ 24

Two Theoretical Models ................................................................... 25

Detailed Explanations of the Empirical Findings ................................... 25

The Theoretical Frameworks .................................................................. 37

The Convergence Zone Framework - The Retrieval of
Knowledge from Memory ................................................................. 37

A Model of Communication Structure and
Knowledge Acquisition ..................................................................... 40

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Chapter Page

A Return to the Earth Science Learning Scenario ............................. 41

A Philosophical Ground for a New Interpretation of
the Brain ............................................................................................ 42

Learner Characteristics .................................................................................. 44

Individual Differences in Cognitive Processing ...................................... 44

Metacognitive Thinking .......................................................................... 47

Gender Differences .................................................................................. 48

Cognitive strengths ............................................................................ 48

Graphic Production Strategies .......................................................... 49

Historical Development of Knowledge Representation
Strategies ........................................................................................................ 49

Visual Thinking and Meaningful Science Learning ...................................... 53

Methods from Interview-Based Research ..................................................... 56

Summary ........................................................................................................ 57

III. INQUIRY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ................................................. 59

The Design of the Inquiry ............................................................................. 59

The Population and the Setting ............................................................... 59

The Duration and the Procedures for the Inquiry ................................... 60

Overview of Methodology ....................................................................... 63

Methodology for the Experimental Design ................................................... 65

Pre-Experimental Equivalence ................................................................. 65

Data Sources ............................................................................... 65

Records of Data ............................................................................... 66
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Chapter Page

Data Transformations ......................................................................... 66

The AGI/NSTA Earth Science Examination Instrument ......................... 66

Pre-Test Equivalence Results for Earth Science Knowledge .................. 68

Pre-Test Equivalence Results for Cognitive Level of Earth
Science Knowledge ............................................................................... 69

The Differential Aptitude Tests .............................................................. 69

Results of Abstract Reasoning Aptiude Equivalence ........................ 71

The Experimental Design: Main Research Question #1 .......................... 71

Specific Research Questions 1a-2c ................................................... 71

Data Sources ............................................................................... 73

Records of Data ........................................................................... 74

Data Transformations .................................................................. 74

Experimental Design: Main Research Question #2 ................................. 75

Pilot Study #1: The VTN Strategy .................................................... 75

Specific Research Questions 3a-3b ................................................... 76

Data Sources ............................................................................... 76

Records of Data ........................................................................... 76

Data Transformations ................................................................... 77

Specific Research Question 4 ............................................................ 77

Data Sources ............................................................................... 77

Records of Data............................................................................ 77

Transformation of Data ................................................................ 77

Specific Research Question 5a-5d .................................................... 78
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Chapter Page

Data Sources .............................................................................. 78

Records of Data ........................................................................... 78

Transformation of Data ............................................................... 79

Pilot Study #2 - Meaning Making Decisions ........................................... 79

Specific Research Question 5e ........................................................... 79

Data Sources ............................................................................... 80

Data Transformations ................................................................... 80

Specific Research Questions 6a-6b .................................................... 80

Data Sources ............................................................................... 80

Records of Data ........................................................................... 80

Transformations of Data .............................................................. 80

Methodology for the Interview-Based Design .............................................. 81

Pilot Study # 3 Planet Wooz – The Clinical Interview .......................... 82

Pilot Study # 4 Analysis of the Progression of Information
in a Verbal Discourse Sequence ............................................................ 84

Interview-Based Design: Main Research Question #3 ............................ 87

Specific Research Questions 7a ........................................................ 87

Data Sources ......................................................................... 87

Records of Data ..................................................................... 88

Data Transformations ............................................................ 88

Pilot Study # 5: Flow Map Analysis ...................................................... 88

Specific Research Question 7b ................................................... 91

Data Sources ......................................................................... 91
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Chapter Page

Records of Data .................................................................... 91

Data Transformations ........................................................... 91

Interview-Based Design: Main Research Question #4 ............................ 92

Pilot Study # 6: Analyzing Conceptual Understanding from the
Clinical Interview .................................................................................... 92

Specific Research Question 8a .................................................... 96

Data Sources ......................................................................... 96

Records of Data ..................................................................... 96

Transformations of Data ....................................................... 96

Specific Research Question 8b ................................................... 97

Data Sources ......................................................................... 97

Records of Data ..................................................................... 97

Transformations of Data ....................................................... 97

IV. FINDINGS OF THE INQUIRY ....................................................................... 98

Organization of the Findings ................................................................... 98

Summary of Major Findings .......................................................................... 99

The Experimental Design: Main Research Question #1 ......................... 99

Problem Solving Achievement .......................................................... 100

Gender Differences in Problem Solving Achievement ...................... 101

The Experimental Design: Main Research Question #2 ......................... 102

Gender Differences in choice of VTN Strategy ................................. 102

VTN Depiction Decision Categories ................................................. 102
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