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Patterns of understanding with open-ended learning environments: A qualitative study

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Abstract

This study examined patterns of scientific understanding using an open-ended learning environment (OELE). Four seventh-graders were drawn from a general science class and were studied as separate cases. The OELE was the ErgoMotion program on mechanical physics, which combines computer-generated graphics, computer simulations, video, and print-based materials. Primary data collection techniques included think-aloud protocols and interviews. The results indicated that learners perceived information from the system, derived interpretations to explain observations, and used system features to test interpretations. Learners also, however, tended to perceive and interpret information inaccurately. While learners built and formalized scientific theories, they often failed to use system data to evaluate the limitations of their understanding. In some cases, they assimilated new data into existing theories, ignored inconsistent data, or derived independent theories to account for contradictory evidence. This study indicated that powerful intuitive theories, which are highly resistant to change, influence the interpretation of system events.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the University of Oklahoma, USA

    Susan M. Land (assistant professor of the Instructional Psychology and Technology program)

  2. the University of Georgia, USA

    Michael J. Hannafin (Director of the Learning and Performance Support Lab)

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  1. Susan M. Land
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  2. Michael J. Hannafin
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Additional information

This manuscript is based on the doctoral dissertation by the first author conducted at The Florida State University. We wish to acknowledge Dr. Marcy P. Driscoll, Dr. Robert A. Reiser, and Dr. Richard K. Wagner for their cooperation and support as committee members, and George Dawson for providing use of ErgoMotion. The manuscript was prepared while the first author was working as a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Georgia's Learning and Performance Support Laboratory.

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Land, S.M., Hannafin, M.J. Patterns of understanding with open-ended learning environments: A qualitative study. ETR&D 45, 47–73 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02299524

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