Style Matching or Ability Building? An Empirical Study on FD Learners' Learning in Well-Structured and Ill-Structured Asynchronous Online Learning Environments

Abstract

The present study investigated (1) the impact of cognitive styles on learner performance in well-structured and ill-structured learning, and (2) scaffolding as a cognitive tool to improve learners' cognitive abilities, especially field dependent (FD) learners' ability to thrive in an ill-structured learning environment. Two experiments were conducted with 116 college students recruited from a large research I university in the west of the United States. Experiment 1 (n = 42) employed the group learning strategy to match learners' cognitive styles in asynchronous online learning. The results showed that the style matching strategy failed to yield expected gains in ill-structured asynchronous learning for FD learners. Different from the style-matching strategy, experiment 2 (n = 74) used a scaffolding model proposed by Cazden (1988) to improve FD learners' cognitive abilities in asynchronous online learning. Results indicated that focusing on learners' cognitive abilities proved to be more effective than style-matching strategy for FD learners in both ill-structured and well-structured asynchronous online learning. Implications of the findings were discussed with suggestions for future research.

Young People and Social Networks: Motivations and Preferred Uses

“…This same topic was approached by other authors in various geographical areas (Zheng, Flygare, & Dahl, 2009, Burrow-Sanchez & al. This same topic was approached by other authors in various geographical areas (Zheng, Flygare, & Dahl, 2009, Burrow-Sanchez & al.…”

“…This same topic was approached by other authors in various geographical areas (Zheng, Flygare, & Dahl, 2009, Burrow-Sanchez & al. In this case, individual differences in the uses of social networks (Flygare & Dahl, 2009), motivations (Leese, 2009) and identity (Calvert, 2002) are studied. International scientific production prefers to identify two lines of work: the first focuses on the motivations behind social network usage from the psychological point of view.…”

Online Communities, Critiques and Second Life Teaching in the Visual Arts

“…Han and Park, 2008, researched the online instructor's social presence and relationship to their students. Key theorists on distance learning pedagogies, believe that knowledge should be conveyed in learning communities (Ashcraft, Treadwell, & Kumar, 2009;Zheng, Flygare, & Dahl, 2009). The most popular studies represented in the media compare the outcomes of online courses and programs to their face-to-face counterparts (Bernard, Abrami, Borokhovski, Wade, Tamim, Surkes, & Bethel, 2009;Miiller & Smith, 2009).…”

Effects of Situated Learning on Students' Knowledge Acquisition: An Individual Differences Perspective

“…Although situated learning model has been widely applied to teaching and learning (Standal & Jespersen, 2008;Wolfson & Willinsky, 1998), few studies have examined the effects of individual differences on students' knowledge acquisition where situated learning model is implemented. Research suggests that individual differences can significantly influence the way people process information, thus affect their performance in learning (Zheng, Flygare, & Dahl, 2009a;Zheng, Yang, Garcia, & McCadden, 2008). Zheng et al (2009a) studied the undergraduate students' online social learning and found that students' learning was influenced by such factors as field dependent/field independent (FDI).…”

“…Research suggests that individual differences can significantly influence the way people process information, thus affect their performance in learning (Zheng, Flygare, & Dahl, 2009a;Zheng, Yang, Garcia, & McCadden, 2008). Zheng et al (2009a) studied the undergraduate students' online social learning and found that students' learning was influenced by such factors as field dependent/field independent (FDI). Similar findings were obtained by Noble (2006) who found a significant interaction between problem-based learning and FDI for medical school students.…”