1. 1 Adolescents' use of Self-Regulatory processes and their relation to qualitative mental model shifts while using hypermedia Presenter: Zong-Lin Tsai Advisor: Ming-Puu Chen Date: August 19, 2009 Greene, J. A. & Azevedo, R. (2007). Adolescents' use of Self-Regulatory processes and their relation to qualitative mental model shifts while using hypermedia. J. Educational Computing Research, 36(2), 125-148.

2. 2 Introduction Understanding system complexity is sometimes difficult because the properties of the system are not available for direct inspection. In addition, students must integrate multiple representations (e.g., text, diagrams, animations) to attain a fundamental conceptual understanding and then use those representations to make inferences about how the system operates. These inferences and mental representations combine to form a learner’s mental model of the system.

3. 3 Introduction Hypermedia learning environments can be used to address many of the difficulties above, including allowing for direct inspection of multiple representations and providing a non-linear, content-on-demand means of providing information. However, to gain the full benefits of using hypermedia learning environments to study complex and challenging science topics such as the circulatory system, students must regulate their learning.

4. 4 Introduction Challenges of Hypermedia Learning Environments Learners in hypermedia environments can pursue their own constructed learning goals using the non-linear features of the system. However, with this added learner control, more burden is placed upon the students. This is particularly true when the content of the learning task is complex and challenging, such as learning about the circulatory system. We believe that self-regulation is essential if learners are to learn about complex science content within open- ended hypermedia learning environments.

5. 5 Introduction Research on Self-Regulated Learning with Hypermedia Most hypermedia learning studies continue to focus only on students’ declarative knowledge of basic topics. We argue this approach is inadequate when examining students’ learning of complex and challenging science topics. We believe measures of mental models are necessary to accurately assess student learning of such complex topics.

6. 6 Introduction Research on Self-Regulated Learning with Hypermedia Recent results on learning with hypermedia show that adolescents typically do not fair as well as their college counterparts. This research has shown that younger students do not have the self-regulatory processes necessary to learn about complex science topics with hypermedia learning environments. When compared to college students, adolescents typically develop less sophisticated mental models of science topics, gain smaller amounts of declarative knowledge, and deploy fewer and less effective self-regulatory processes.

7. 7 Method Participants were 148 middle school and high school students from two schools located outside a large mid- Atlantic city. Only students that were scored as having a “low” mental model of the circulatory system on the pretest were included in this study. Both the pretest and posttest we designed to be open- ended in order to prompt the participant to generate the declarative, procedural, and inferential knowledge underlying his or her mental model.

8. 8 Method

9. 9 Results Of the 148 participants with low mental model pretest scores, 92 (62%) had a low, 23 (16%) had an intermediate, and 33 (22%) had a high posttest mental model score. A series of chi-square analyses were performed for each SRL variable, with the subject-grouping variable being their posttest mental model score (low, intermediate, high). Of the 35 SRL variables examined, six were significantly related to posttest mental model category.

10. 10 Results

11. 11 Discussion We argue that successful learners with HLEs are those that are able to self-regulate. Our findings support our views, in that participants who experience a positive qualitative shift in their mental model of the circulatory system are more likely to utilize certain SRL processes more often than their less successful peers. Clearly, SRL processes aimed at conceptual understanding (CoIS, EA, FOK, INF, KE) are associated with learning, whereas excessive COC seems to be an indicator of potential trouble with planning.

12. 12 Discussion We also contribute to their model by highlighting the fact that engaging in some self-regulatory processes, such as controlling the context, can be associated with low mental model shifts. This contribution is important because it highlights the complexity of the task and the need to effectively manage and handle the task difficulties and demands during a knowledge construction activity.