Abstract
This paper tested the deep-level reasoning questions effect in the domains of computer literacy between eighth and tenth graders and Newtonian physics for ninth and eleventh graders. This effect claims that learning is facilitated when the materials are organized around questions that invite deep-reasoning. The literature indicates that vicarious learners in college student populations show greater pretest to posttest learning gains when presented with deep-level reasoning questions before each content sentence, than when deep-level questions are omitted, or when learners interact with an intelligent tutoring system. This effect holds for vicarious learners across grade levels and domains.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) Grant R305H0R0169. The tutoring Research Group (TRG) at the University of Memphis is an interdisciplinary research team composed of approximately 35 researchers from psychology, computer science, physics and education (http://www.autotutor.org). The research on AutoTutor was supported by National Science Foundation (SBR 9720314, REC 0106965, ITR 0325428) and the DOD Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) administered by ONR under grant N00014-00-1-0106. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IES (DOE), DOD, ONR, or NSF.
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Gholson, B., Witherspoon, A., Morgan, B. et al. Exploring the deep-level reasoning questions effect during vicarious learning among eighth to eleventh graders in the domains of computer literacy and Newtonian physics. Instr Sci 37, 487–493 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-008-9069-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-008-9069-2