Robert J. Mills, Emily R. Fyfe, Tanya Beaulieu, Maddy Mills
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Teachers form expectations that can influence their students’ performance, and there are a variety of ways these expectations can be communicated. In the current study, we tested a novel method for communicating expectations via examples of student work—examples that contain basic, entry-level work and communicate low, but manageable expectations or examples that contain complex, advanced-level work and communicate high and challenging expectations. Across three semesters, 91 college students in a data management course completed a class assignment that involved exploratory coding activities. Prior to the assignment, students were randomly assigned to view basic or advanced examples of student work. Students assigned to the advanced-examples condition reported higher perceptions of task difficulty and frustration, but they also exhibited higher levels of performance in terms of the complexity of their own work. Results suggest that setting challenging expectations can create a desirable difficulty that ultimately benefits students’ performance in an authentic learning environment.
期刊介绍：
Instructional Science, An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, promotes a deeper understanding of the nature, theory, and practice of learning and of environments in which learning occurs. The journal’s conception of learning, as well as of instruction, is broad, recognizing that there are many ways to stimulate and support learning. The journal encourages submission of research papers, covering a variety of perspectives from the learning sciences and learning, by people of all ages, in all areas of the curriculum, in technologically rich or lean environments, and in informal and formal learning contexts. Emphasizing reports of original empirical research, the journal provides space for full and detailed reporting of major studies. Regardless of the topic, papers published in the journal all make an explicit contribution to the science of learning and instruction by drawing out the implications for the design and implementation of learning environments. We particularly encourage the submission of papers that highlight the interaction between learning processes and learning environments, focus on meaningful learning, and recognize the role of context. Papers are characterized by methodological variety that ranges, for example, from experimental studies in laboratory settings, to qualitative studies, to design-based research in authentic learning settings. The Editors will occasionally invite experts to write a review article on an important topic in the field. When review articles are considered for publication, they must deal with central issues in the domain of learning and learning environments. The journal accepts replication studies. Such a study should replicate an important and seminal finding in the field, from a study which was originally conducted by a different research group. Most years, Instructional Science publishes a guest-edited thematic special issue on a topic central to the journal''s scope. Proposals for special issues can be sent to the Editor-in-Chief. Proposals will be discussed in Spring and Fall of each year, and the proposers will be notified afterwards. To be considered for the Spring and Fall discussion, proposals should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief by March 1 and October 1, respectively. Please note that articles that are submitted for a special issue will follow the same review process as regular articles.
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