richard lowe | Curtin University (original) (raw)
Papers by richard lowe
Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2008
An experimental study examined temporal manipulation of presentation speed as instructional desig... more An experimental study examined temporal manipulation of presentation speed as instructional design strategy. In a between subject design, an animation of a mechanical system, a pendulum clock, was presented at either normal speed or as highly sped up version. Presentation speed was found to affect distribution of attention and understanding of the clock's functioning. Think aloud protocols were analysed for mentions of clock parts as an attention indicator, and for statements about the functions of crucial clock parts. Verbal reports from the fast condition contained more statements about the weight, which is a central part of the clocks' driving mechanism. Written descriptions of the clock produced after presentation included more correct concepts about the key components in the fast condition. For complex dynamic subject matter at least, temporal manipulation of presentation speed seems to provide instructional designers with a way to increase attention to relevant parts and thereby facilitate understanding. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning and Instruction, 2004
Because animations can depict situational dynamics explicitly, they have the potential to help le... more Because animations can depict situational dynamics explicitly, they have the potential to help learners build coherent, high-quality mental models of complex change processes. Further, interactive animations provide opportunities for learners to deal with available information selectively and so avoid excessive processing demands. However, to be instructionally effective, the selected subsets of information must have high domain and task relevance. Approaches used by domain novices to interrogate an interactive animation of a complex dynamic system as they prepared for a subsequent prediction task were explored. Subjects searched the animation in order to learn generalizations upon which to base their predictions. Spatial and temporal strategies employed tended to be narrowly focused upon individual graphic features or localized groups while broader relational aspects required for coherence were neglected. The findings suggest that in order to build satisfactory mental representations from interactive animations, learners may require specific guidance regarding search strategies and targets.
Learning and Instruction, 2003
Research in Science Education, 1994
Predictions of the patterns likely to appear on a weather map diagram one day later than those sh... more Predictions of the patterns likely to appear on a weather map diagram one day later than those shown on a given map were drawn by meteorologists and non-meteorologists. Differences in secondary structures of the predicted patterns with respect to the spacing and alignment of graphic elements were consistent with the existence of fundamental differences in mental representation between the subject groups. Lack of expertise in the subject domain of the diagram was associated with the production of patterns containing meteorologically-arbitrary arrangements of graphic elements. It is suggested that science instruction should include explicit consideration of the higher order structures present in diagrams.
Learning and Instruction, 1993
The construction of a mental representation from a weather map diagram by professional meteorolog... more The construction of a mental representation from a weather map diagram by professional meteorologists and nonmeteorologists was investigated using a series of drawing tasks. Subjects first produced a drawn copy of a weather map diagram onto a blank map of ...
European Journal of Psychology of Education, 1996
Comprehension of a diagram requires viewers to construct from its graphic constituents a mental r... more Comprehension of a diagram requires viewers to construct from its graphic constituents a mental representation that captures the situational entities and relationships referred to by the diagram. However, this implies viewers possess appropriate background knowledge concerning the depicted situation. Meteorologists' and non-meteorologists' mental representations were investigated using a three-stage card sorting task during which subjects generated hierarchical groupings of the graphic elements of an Australian weather map diagram. Cluster analysis indicated that the two subject groups differed fundamentally in the basis of their sorting behaviour. Subjects' justifications of the groupings suggested that non-meteorologists' mental representation of the diagram elements was primarily based upon domain-general, visuospatial characteristics whereas in meteorologists' representations, these characteristics were subservient to a domain-specific, situational interpretation of the graphic array. The findings indicate that background knowledge deficiencies may make it difficult for learners beginning study of a domain to construct suitable mental representations from domain-related diagrams. La compréhension d'un graphique exige du sujet qu'il construise, sur la base de la représentation figurale, une représentation mentale des éléments du graphique et de leurs relations. Cela suppose, de la part du sujet, des connaissances adéquates déjà constituées à propos de la situation représentée par le graphique. Les représentations mentales de météorologues et de non-météorologues ont été comparées à la faveur d'une tâche de sélections successives (trois étapes) d'éléments d'une carte météorologique qu'ils devaient regrouper en fonction de leurs relations et selon une catégorisation hiérarchique. Une analyse en clusters a mis en évidence des différences très nettes dans les principes des classifications appliquées par les deux groupes de sujets. Les justifications fournies ont révélé que les non-météorologues fondent leur représentation mentale des éléments du graphique sur des caractéristiques générales et visuo-spatiales du domaine; les météorologues s'appuient sur une interprétation spécifique et située de l'information apportée par le graphique. L'inadéquation des connaissances antérieures gène l'acquisition dans des domaines nouveaux où le sujet doit construire des représentations appropriées à partir de représentations graphiques du domaine étudié.
Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2008
An experimental study examined temporal manipulation of presentation speed as instructional desig... more An experimental study examined temporal manipulation of presentation speed as instructional design strategy. In a between subject design, an animation of a mechanical system, a pendulum clock, was presented at either normal speed or as highly sped up version. Presentation speed was found to affect distribution of attention and understanding of the clock's functioning. Think aloud protocols were analysed for mentions of clock parts as an attention indicator, and for statements about the functions of crucial clock parts. Verbal reports from the fast condition contained more statements about the weight, which is a central part of the clocks' driving mechanism. Written descriptions of the clock produced after presentation included more correct concepts about the key components in the fast condition. For complex dynamic subject matter at least, temporal manipulation of presentation speed seems to provide instructional designers with a way to increase attention to relevant parts and thereby facilitate understanding. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning and Instruction, 2004
Because animations can depict situational dynamics explicitly, they have the potential to help le... more Because animations can depict situational dynamics explicitly, they have the potential to help learners build coherent, high-quality mental models of complex change processes. Further, interactive animations provide opportunities for learners to deal with available information selectively and so avoid excessive processing demands. However, to be instructionally effective, the selected subsets of information must have high domain and task relevance. Approaches used by domain novices to interrogate an interactive animation of a complex dynamic system as they prepared for a subsequent prediction task were explored. Subjects searched the animation in order to learn generalizations upon which to base their predictions. Spatial and temporal strategies employed tended to be narrowly focused upon individual graphic features or localized groups while broader relational aspects required for coherence were neglected. The findings suggest that in order to build satisfactory mental representations from interactive animations, learners may require specific guidance regarding search strategies and targets.
Learning and Instruction, 2003
Research in Science Education, 1994
Predictions of the patterns likely to appear on a weather map diagram one day later than those sh... more Predictions of the patterns likely to appear on a weather map diagram one day later than those shown on a given map were drawn by meteorologists and non-meteorologists. Differences in secondary structures of the predicted patterns with respect to the spacing and alignment of graphic elements were consistent with the existence of fundamental differences in mental representation between the subject groups. Lack of expertise in the subject domain of the diagram was associated with the production of patterns containing meteorologically-arbitrary arrangements of graphic elements. It is suggested that science instruction should include explicit consideration of the higher order structures present in diagrams.
Learning and Instruction, 1993
The construction of a mental representation from a weather map diagram by professional meteorolog... more The construction of a mental representation from a weather map diagram by professional meteorologists and nonmeteorologists was investigated using a series of drawing tasks. Subjects first produced a drawn copy of a weather map diagram onto a blank map of ...
European Journal of Psychology of Education, 1996
Comprehension of a diagram requires viewers to construct from its graphic constituents a mental r... more Comprehension of a diagram requires viewers to construct from its graphic constituents a mental representation that captures the situational entities and relationships referred to by the diagram. However, this implies viewers possess appropriate background knowledge concerning the depicted situation. Meteorologists' and non-meteorologists' mental representations were investigated using a three-stage card sorting task during which subjects generated hierarchical groupings of the graphic elements of an Australian weather map diagram. Cluster analysis indicated that the two subject groups differed fundamentally in the basis of their sorting behaviour. Subjects' justifications of the groupings suggested that non-meteorologists' mental representation of the diagram elements was primarily based upon domain-general, visuospatial characteristics whereas in meteorologists' representations, these characteristics were subservient to a domain-specific, situational interpretation of the graphic array. The findings indicate that background knowledge deficiencies may make it difficult for learners beginning study of a domain to construct suitable mental representations from domain-related diagrams. La compréhension d'un graphique exige du sujet qu'il construise, sur la base de la représentation figurale, une représentation mentale des éléments du graphique et de leurs relations. Cela suppose, de la part du sujet, des connaissances adéquates déjà constituées à propos de la situation représentée par le graphique. Les représentations mentales de météorologues et de non-météorologues ont été comparées à la faveur d'une tâche de sélections successives (trois étapes) d'éléments d'une carte météorologique qu'ils devaient regrouper en fonction de leurs relations et selon une catégorisation hiérarchique. Une analyse en clusters a mis en évidence des différences très nettes dans les principes des classifications appliquées par les deux groupes de sujets. Les justifications fournies ont révélé que les non-météorologues fondent leur représentation mentale des éléments du graphique sur des caractéristiques générales et visuo-spatiales du domaine; les météorologues s'appuient sur une interprétation spécifique et située de l'information apportée par le graphique. L'inadéquation des connaissances antérieures gène l'acquisition dans des domaines nouveaux où le sujet doit construire des représentations appropriées à partir de représentations graphiques du domaine étudié.