1. Incidental Learning in different Pedagogical Approaches

2. 1. Definitions
2. Incidental Learning in language teaching
3. Incidental Learning in Computer-assisted
Learning Environments
4. Interactions between Incidental and
Intentional learning
5. Factors that influence Incidental Learning
6. Hypotheses
7. Experimentation

3. Definitions Formal Learning Informal Learning Intentional learning
institutionally sponsored,
classroom-based, highly structured
Cotrolled and structured by a ‘teacher’
Intentional but not highly structured,
Not classroom-based,
Controlled by the learner
Intentional learning
Incidental Learning
Conscious,
‚intrinsically motivated‘ (?)
Unconscious, unintentioned, unplanned
Byproduct of other learning activities
Situated, contextual, social (Rogers1997)
Explicit Learning
Implicit Learning
Learning ‚En-passant‘ (Reischmann 1995)

4. Significance of Incidental Learning
Incidental learning is the most important form of learning in every day life
Mother tongue
Every day motor skills
Social knowledge
Use of common technical devices
Some people claim that even at school incidental learning is the main form
of learning. (Rogers 1995)

5. Incidental Learning in language teaching
Incidental learning is the way how pre-school children learn speaking
(and many other skills!)
Several studies have shown the tremendous significance of incidental learning
for language-teaching in a school context
- Acquisition of vocabulary
Spelling
Grammar
rely at least as much on incidental than on explicit/formal learning
This holds for all ages from primary school children to adults and for
First and second language learners
Review in Elley, 2005

6. Implicit and explicit Grammar Learning
Grade level
Shared book
Silent reading
Grammar teaching
Grade 5
38,6
40,8
25,25
Grade 6
43,9
42,13
30,37
Mean percentage score for of the two Book Flood treatment
(shared reading and silent reading) as compared to trad. Teaching of grammar
Incidental Acquisition of vocabulary
Impressive scores for vocabulary acquisition (40%) of eight year olds were obtained
when high-interrest Stories were read with brief definitions of key words (without
explanations: 15%)

7. Incidental Learning in Computer-assisted Learning Environments
-> Animation, Incidental Learning and Continuing motivation
Rieber, 1991
-> How seductive Details do their damage: A theory of cognitive interrest
in Science learning Harp & Mayer, 1998
-> Perceived Disorientation and Incidental Learning in a Web-based Environment
Baylor, 2001
-> Incidental Learning during Information Retrieval: A Hypertext environment
Jones, 2005
Animated graphics are favourable both to incidental learning and to
intrinsic motivation
Incidental learning processes (Seductive Details) can negatively interfere with
explicit learning
Incidental learning is inhibited by seductive details (‚detracters‘) and perceived
Disorientation, and promoted by nonlinear navigation

8. Interactions between Incidental and Intentional learning
Different studies find contradicting evidence on whether Incidental Learning
and formal learning interfere positively or negatively:
The relation between implicit and explicit Learning: Evidence for
Parallel Development Willingham &Goedert-Eschmann, 1999
How seductive Details do their damage: A theory of cognitive interrest
in Science learning Haarp & Mayer, 1998
Role of implicit and explicit processes in Learning From Examples:
A Synergistic effect Mathews etal, 1989

9. Role of implicit and explicit processes in Learning From Examples:
A Synergistic effect Mathews etal, 1989
Theoretical model
Explicit Learning/Thinking
Implicit Learning/Thinking
Similar to conscious problem solving
They attempt to form a mental representation of the task by searching memory for knowledge of analogous systems and build/adapt mental model
alternate learning mode
more powerful than explicit thinking in discovering nonsalient covariance between task variables
Experimentation
Learning the rules of an artificial grammar (800 trials learning 4x 2.5 h) according to different tasks:
explicit
implicit
Find out the rules
Memorize the ‚words‘

10. Results Memory-instructed subjects acquired as much tacit knowledge of
the grammar as ‚rule-instructed‘ subjects
This knowledge is accessible
Implicit learning failed when a more complex grammar was used
But also in this situation subjects which in addition to the explicit task worked
‚implicitly‘ with the material outperformed the ‚purely explicit‘ subjects in rule
detection.

11. Navigation mode Distracters Animation Motivation Behavioural Tasks
Factors that influence Incidental Learning
Navigation mode
Baylor has shown a moderate positive effect of nonlinear Navigation mode on incidental learning
Distracters
The same author also showed that ‚seductive details‘ and percieved disorientation have a negative effect on incidental learning.
Animation
According to Rieber animated graphics strongly promote both motivation of learners and incidental learning
Motivation
A similar effect has been shown by Elley for the incidental acquisition of vocabulary
Behavioural Tasks
Behavioural tasks promote intentional learning. At the same time they reduce incidental learning (Klauer)
Task level
To some extent a higher structural complexity of the task leads to incidental learning of more complex facts of the material (Barker & Hapkievicz)

12. Conclusions
Incidental learning has been shown to be an essential factor in learning. It has also been shown to influence intentional learning in several fields.
In spite of these evidences incidental learning has been neglected in research during the last decade and can be seen as „the forgotten dimension of learning“ (Reischmann 1986).

13. Hypotheses
The following experiments aim at elucidating the interaction between
Pedagogical approach and incidental learning
Transmissive teaching material is less favourable to incidental learning than material based on a cognitivistic approach.
Working in groups will favour incidental learning since it favours an open cognitive attitude
Incidental learning is linked to intrinsic motivation and to a better score in intentional learning (?)

14. Experimentation
Four groups of (12) students pass an animated learning sequence which covers the molecular basis and concepts of Diffusion, Osmosis and Plasmolysis.
The learning sequence is divided into several steps at the end of which incidental learning is measured by a number of questions.
„Pedagogy“
Transmissive
Constructivistic
Work alone
Group A1
Group B1
Work in pairs
Group A2
Group B2

17. Time table Fin Janvier 2006 Fin Fevrier 2006 Mi-Mars 2006
Revue de la litterature
Fin Janvier 2006
Concept de l‘approche experimentale
Fin Fevrier 2006
Decision sur l‘environnement à utiliser (Flash, Authorware, SVG/PHP)
Mi-Mars 2006
Programmation des unités d‘apprentissage
Fin Decembre 2006
Conception de l‘experimentation
Janvier 2007
Déroulement de l‘experimentation
Mars/Avril 2007
Evaluation des résultats
Mai 2007
Ecrire le Mémoire
Juillet 2007

18. Questions ouvertes et problèmes
Problèmes techniques
Vitesse des animations sur Mac
Programmation de certains paramètres en Flash
Problèmes conceptuels
Comment differencier les animations pour les deux approches pedagogiques
sans trop compromettre la comparabilité des deux experimentations.

19. References
LP Rieber 1991, J of educational Psychology Vol 83/3 318 – 328
Animation, incidental Learning and continuing motivation
LPRieber 1991, ETR&D Vol , 43-58
Seriously considering play: Designing Interactive learning environments based on the blending of microworlds, simulations and games
SF Harp & REMayer, J of educational Psychology 1998, Vol. 90/
How seductive details do their damage: A theory of cognitive interest in science learning
RCSchank & ChCleary, Engines for Education, Lawrence Erlbaum Ass. Publishers Hillsdale NJ,
Incidental learning
Jones, T. Incidental learning during information retrieval: a hypertext experiment
Mathews, RC, Buss, RR, Stanley, WB, Blanchard-Fields, F, Cho, JR and Druhan,B. J of experimental psychology:Learning, Memory and Cognition Vol. 15/ : 1989
Rude, B.D. 2004,
The case against incidental learning
Elley, W.B. http//cela.albany.edu/reports/inpraise/main.html (Dez 2005)
In praise of incidental learning: Lessons from some empirical findings on lan guage acquisition: 1997
Elley, WB Vocabulary acquisition from listening to stories read aloud. Reading research Quarterly 24, : 1989

20. Elley, WB, Barham, I,Lamb, H & Wyllie,M The role of grammar in a secondary school curriculum New Zealand Council for Educational Research 1982
SKerka 2000, Trends and Issues 2000 Alert No.18
Incidental learning
Baylor, A.L. Percieved disorientation and incidental learning in a Web-based environment: Internal and external factors J of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia Vol. 10/3
:2001
VJMarsick & KJWatkins 2001, New directions for adult and continuing education
Informal and incidentaal learning
Marsick, V.J. and Watkins, K. Informal and incidental learning in the workplace. London and NewYork:Routledge, 1990
WStangl
Latentes, passives, implizites, inzidentelles oder informelles Lernen, 2004
Rogers, A Learning:Can we change the discourse? Adults learning 8, no.5 (Jan 1997):
Reischmann, J. Learning “en paassant”: The forgotten dimension Paper presented at the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education Conference: 1986

21. Hillocks, G. What works in teaching composition: A Meta-analysis of experimental treatment studies American Journal of Education 93, : 1984
Harris, R. An experimental inquiry into the functions and value of formal grammar in the teaching of English. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of London: 1962
B Blandin, B Are E-learning standards neutral ? Proceedings CALIE 04: International Conference on Computer …, 2004
Hobbs, D.L. Aconstructivist approach to web course design : A review of the literature International Journal on E-Learning 60 – 65 : April/June 2002
Reiser, R.A. A history of Instructional Design and technology : Hisstory of Instructional Design ETR&D No.2 pp57-67 : 2001
Mayer, R.E. The promise of multimedia learning : using the same instructional design methods across different media Learning and Instruction 13 pp  : 2003
Mayer, R.E., Heiser, J. & Lonn,S. Cognitive constraints on multimedia learning :when presenting more material results in less understanding Journal of educational psychology, 93 pp  : 2001
Milheim, W.D. How to use animation in computer assisted learning British Journal of Educational technology Vol 24, pp  : 1993
Klauer, K.J. Intentional and Incidental Learning with Instructional Texts: A Meta-Analysis for American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp  : 1984

22. Reber,A. S. Implicit learning of artificial languages
Reber,A.S. Implicit learning of artificial languages. The role of innstructional set. J of experimental psychology. Human learning and memory,2 pp  : 1976
Schacter,D. Implicit memory : History and current status J of experimental psychology. Learning, Memory and Cognition, 13, pp  : 1987