Learning Electrical Circuits: The Effects of the 4C-ID Instructional Approach in the Acquisition and Transfer of Knowledge

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effects of two instructional approaches (4C-ID versus conventional) on learners’ knowledge-acquisition and learning transfer of the electrical circuits content in Physics. Participants were 129 9th graders from a secondary school in Lisbon, M = 14.3 years, SD = 0.54. The participants were divided in two groups: an experimental group constituted three intact classes (n = 78); and a control group constituted two intact classes (n = 51). The experimental group was taught using a digital learning environment designed with the 4C-ID model principles while the control group learned the same contents through a conventional method. We assessed the students’ performance (knowledge-acquisition and transfer), the perceived cognitive load, and the instructional efficiency. Results indicated that the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group on a knowledge-acquisition test and in a learning transfer test. They also perceived a less cognitive load in the transfer test and the learning environment developed with the 4C-ID model proved to be more instructional efficient than the conventional method.

The 4C/ID-Model in Physics Education: Instructional Design of a Digital Learning Environment to Teach Electrical Circuits

“…As already mentioned, Melo and Miranda (2015) studied the instructional efficiency of this learning environment with a group of 129 students from the 9 th grade. The main objective of the study was to investigate the effect of the "circuitos elétricos" digital environment on the students' performance variables (reproduction and learning transfer) and on the perceived mental effort (cognitive load measurement) by the students, to study the effect of the instructional approach on the instructional efficiency.…”

“…This justifies the option to present the results referring to student performance on the topic of a simple electrical circuit analysis with a brief description of the students' reactions and behaviour and teacher perception about the experience. Other studies have covered different variables such as the perceived mental effort of students in achievement tests, the instructional efficiency (Melo & Miranda, 2015) and students approaches to learning (Melo & Miranda, in press). The mean value of the scores obtained in each of the tests for the 1 st application and for the follow-up of both groups were presented.…”

“…However, there is some empirical evidence on the effectiveness of the 4C/ID-model on complex learning training programs such as medicine and dental medicine (Postma & White, 2015Vandewaetere, et al, 2015;Maggio, et al, 2015), and science and informatics (Lim, et al, 2009;van Rosmalen, et al, 2014;Melo & Miranda, 2015;Halil & Elkhider, 2016).…”

Efeito do modelo 4C/ID sobre a aquisição e transferência de aprendizagem: revisão de literatura com meta-análise

“…Os sujeitos dos grupos experimentais tiveram mais facilidade em reproduzir os conhecimentos adquiridos do que em transferir estes conhecimentos para novos problemas e situações. De facto, a transferência de conhecimentos não é um fenómeno que se produza de modo espontâneo e é difícil de por em evidência em termos experimentais, sobretudo quando se tratam de aprendizagens complexas (Melo & Miranda, 2015).…”

Algorithm-Aided Design with Python: Analysis of Technological Competence of Subjects

“…Thus, this model, when properly used, facilitates the acquisition of knowledge for complex learning. According to Reference [32]: "The term complex should not assign the connotation of complicated or difficult, since these concepts involve performing tasks with difficult resolution, while the concept complex, in the context of learning, refers to the integration of acquired (and new) knowledge, skills and attitudes about a particular area of study (e.g., sciences, information technology, law, etc.)" [32] (p. 1).…”