Improving Science Problem Solving with Adaptive Game-Based Reflection Tools

该项目由教育和人力资源核心研究计划支持，该计划支持STEM学习和学习环境中的基础研究。反思在学生的学习中起着至关重要的作用，它包括广泛的认知和元认知过程，使学生能够(1)批判性地思考自己的学习过程，(2)将新信息与先前的知识整合起来，(3)形成和适应学习策略，(4)从多个角度看待概念和知识，(5)产生自我解释以丰富概念理解，(6)将学习过程和人工制品与专家和同行创造的过程和人工制品进行比较，以及(7)对知识做出元认知判断。国家研究委员会最近得出结论，系统的反思对于深度学习和有效的教育实践至关重要。本研究以提高中学生科学问题解决过程为总体目标，研究了一套具有理论基础的、适应性强的基于游戏的反思工具，用以支撑学生的认知反思和元认知反思。这些反思工具被整合到现有的水晶岛学习环境中。在研究中学生的认知和元认知反思过程中，将解决三个关键的研究问题：1)嵌入式和回溯性反思支架如何促进学习结果的改善，包括科学问题解决技能、科学内容知识、元认知意识和反思技能？2)如何利用学习分析来扩展反思和自我调节学习的模型，以在基于游戏的学习环境中解决问题？3)我们如何为基于游戏的学习环境创建自适应的脚手架，以便最好地在解决科学问题的过程中和之后培养反思？该项目以自主学习的理论框架为基础，为嵌入式和回溯性支架工具的开发提供信息，收集过程数据(例如，日志数据、眼球跟踪、大声思考)和结果数据(例如，学习前、学习后、迁移、元认知、自我效能)，以告知设计原则和关于反思在学生解决问题过程中的作用的描述模型。主要项目成果包括基于经验的反思强化学习的理论框架，以及在科学问题解决中产生反思预测模型的学习分析技术。

The project is supported by the Education and Human Resources Core Research program, which supports fundamental research in STEM learning and learning environments. Reflection plays a critical role in student learning and encompasses a broad range of cognitive and metacognitive processes enabling students to (1) think critically about their learning processes, (2) integrate new information with prior knowledge, (3) form and adapt learning strategies, (4) view concepts and knowledge from multiple perspectives, (5) generate self-explanations to enrich conceptual understanding, (6) compare learning processes and artifacts to those created by experts and peers, and (7) make metacognitive judgments about knowledge. The National Research Council recently concluded that systematic reflection is essential for deep learning and effective educational practice. This project investigates a suite of theoretically grounded, adaptive game-based reflection tools to scaffold students' cognitive and metacognitive reflection with the overarching objective of improving middle school students' science problem-solving processes. These reflection tools are integrated as part of the existing Crystal Island learning environment.In studying middle school students' cognitive and metacognitive reflective processes, three key research questions will be addressed: 1) How do embedded and retrospective reflection scaffolds promote improved learning outcomes including science problem-solving skills, science content knowledge, metacognitive awareness, and reflection skills? 2) How can learning analytics be leveraged to extend models of reflection and self-regulated learning for problem solving within game-based learning environments? and 3) How can we create adaptive scaffolding for game-based learning environments that best foster reflection during and following science problem solving? The project builds upon a theoretical framework of self-regulated learning to inform the development of embedded and retrospective scaffold tools, gathering both process data (e.g., log data, eye tracking, think-aloud) and outcome data (e.g., pre- post- learning, transfer, metacognition, self-efficacy) to inform design principles and descriptive models of the role of reflection in students' problem-solving processes. Key project outcomes include an empirically grounded theoretical framework for reflection-enhanced learning and learning analytic techniques that yield predictive models of reflection in science problem solving.