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1. Instructional Factors Relating to Children's Principle Learning. Report from the Project on Conditions of School Learning and Instructional Strategies. Technical Report Number 309, Parts 1 and 2.

Author

Wisconsin Univ., Madison. Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning. and Feldman, Katherine Vorwerk

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of two external conditions on the learning of principles by children. The external conditions were instruction on the major concepts related in the principle and the number of teaching examples and teaching nonexamples of the principle presented with a statement of the principle. Subjects were 159 fifth-grade students of average ability and socioeconomic status. The principles were presented in self-instructional lesson booklets, where the instructional variables of interest were systematically varied. Variations in the type of lessons read by the subjects constituted the experimental conditions. Mastery of the principles was determined by tests designed to assess subjects' knowledge of, and ability to apply, the principles. Results indicated that a rationally selected set of examples and nonexamples was more facilitative than one example, although it was concluded that, for easy principles, providing one example was equally effective as a rationally selected set when instruction on concepts related in the principle was also provided. Main effects for instruction on concepts related in the principles were not found to be significant. The conditions associated with this unanticipated result were discussed. Extensive appendices are included. (Author/PC)

Published
1974

2. Lessons Designed to Teach Fifth Grade Students the Concept Tree at the Formal Level of Attainment. Practical Paper No. 15.

Author

Wisconsin Univ., Madison. Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning. and Feldman, Katherine V.

Abstract

The autoinstructional activities included in this booklet were designed to be used to teach fifth-grade students the science concept "tree" at the formal level of attainment. The instructional strategies used in the lessons had been shown in previous studies to facilitate concept learning when used singly or in combination with one another. The strategies used are: (1) use of a definition, (2) empirical selection of concept examples through an instance probability analysis, (3) use of rational sets of examples and nonexamples, (4) pairing of examples with nonexamples, (5) emphasis of relevant attributes, (6) teaching of strategy, (7) immediate feedback, and (8) active involvement by the student. Instruction was divided into two parts, each part being a lesson. The first lesson presents the defining attributes and teaches children labels for defining attributes. The second lesson presents the definition of "trees," presents a rational set of examples and nonexamples, and teaches a strategy for evaluating whether or not an instance is an example of the concept. Active involvement and immediate feedback are provided for the student in both lessons. (Author/CP)

Published
1975

3. The Effects of Number of Positive and Negative Instances, Concept Definition, and Emphasis of Relevant Attributes in the Attainment of Mathematical Concepts.

Author

Wisconsin Univ., Madison. Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning. and Feldman, Katherine Vorwerk

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of several instructional variables on concept attainment. In Experiment I, the effect of presenting a rationally chosen set of positive and negative instances was contrasted with the effect of presenting either a rationally chosen set of positive instances alone or two randomly selected positive instances. Experiment II modified the treatment by giving a concept definition in addition to teaching instances. In Experiment III the effect of presenting a rationally chosen set of positive and negative instances alone was compared with the effect of also including either a concept definition alone or a concept definition plus emphasis of relevant attributes. About 100 sixth grade students took a series of printed lessons dealing with geometric symmetry. Results showed that providing a rational set of positive and negative instances with a definition, or with a definition plus emphasis, was significantly more facilitative in promoting concept learning than the rational set alone, and that providing a rational set of instances with a definition and emphasis was not sifnificantly more facilitative than the rational set with definition alone. (Author/DT)

Published
1972

4. The Effects of Two Kinds of Definition on the Concept Attainment of Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Students.

Author

Wisconsin Univ., Madison. Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning., Feldman, Katherine Vorwerk, and Klausmeier, Herbert J.

Abstract

To determine the effects of the amount and type of information supplied by a concept definition, fourth and eighth graders were presented with one of two definitions: a "technical" definition which precisely specified all defining attributes of the concept, and a "common usage" definition from a children's dictionary which did not specify all defining attributes. Fourth graders were found to perform significantly better on a classification task with the common usage definition than with the technical definition, while eighth graders performed better with the technical than the common usage. It was concluded that for younger students it is more important to provide a definition written at an appropriate level than a definition which completely specifies the concept's defining attributes. (Author)

Published
1973

5. The Effects of a Definition and a Varying Number of Examples and Nonexamples on Concept Attainment.

Author

Wisconsin Univ., Madison. Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning., Klausmeier, Herbert J., and Feldman, Katherine Vorwerk

Abstract

Fourth grade children read experimental lessons, each of which presented one of the following: (1) a concept definition and placebo material; (2) a rational set of examples and nonexamples of the concept and placebo material; (3) the definition, a rational set, and placebo material; or (4) the definition and three different rational sets. Control children read the placebo material only. Each experimental group performed significantly better than the controls; and children reading a lesson with a definition and three rational sets performed significantly better than those who received only a definition. The use of rational sets of concept instances and of a concept definition is validated as a powerful controllable variable in instructional material. (Author)

Published
1973

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