Spatial navigation relies on extracting environmental information to determine where to go. To support navigation behavior, navigational aids, such as maps, compasses, or global positioning systems (GPSs), offer access to easily extractible information, but do these aids enhance spatial memory? Here, we propose the hypothesis that navigation aids…

Cognitive load theory describes the mechanisms for the transfer of information from human working memory to long-term memory. This theory posits that increasing the number of interactive elements, such as interconnections, may increase cognitive load. This study investigates the impact of interconnections in concept maps on cognitive load,…

Over four decades of conceptual change studies in education have been based on the assumption that learners come to science classrooms with functionally fixated intuitive ideas. However, it is largely ignored that such pre-instructional conceptions are probabilistic, reflecting some aspects of an idiosyncratic sampling of their experiences and…

The aim of this study is to find out what the effects of facilitated learning interventions in a simulation game (SG) are and what type of SG renders which type of learning. Therefore, we research the effects of facilitator interventions on learning in an analogue open SG (in which there are as few rules as possible) and an analogue rule based SG…

Attention is crucial for learners to enhance their learning and build knowledge. Sustaining prolonged attention requires students to self-regulate their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive processes. At the same time, learners engage in mind wandering approximately 30% of the time spent in educational activities, leading to a deterioration in…

The traditionally studied positive outcomes of creativity tend to be product-focused, such as Big-C contributions, good grades, or strong work performance. This paper makes an argument for the importance of less-discussed products of the process--the benefits that arise from being creative, regardless of one's abilities or level of achievement.…

The challenge posed by algebra story problems creates a significant hurdle for many students, transcending both the mathematical content of the problem and the specific instructional background received. This study offers a distinctive contribution to the existing literature by focusing on the cognitive conditions essential for comprehension in…

Although some studies have examined the effects of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies on learning effectiveness, inconsistent results have been reported. Additionally, studies that adopt the perspective of SRL to evaluate the effect of metacognitive skills on students' actual learning effectiveness in digital game-based learning (DGBL)…

Complex sequences are ubiquitous in human mental life, structuring representations within many different cognitive domains--natural language, music, mathematics, and logic, to name a few. However, the representational and computational machinery used to learn abstract grammars and process complex sequences is unknown. Here, we used an artificial…

The main objective of this methodological article is to discuss the contribution of response times as a tool in education research. The use of response times in research is largely a legacy of the work carried out in cognitive psychology, which has made it possible to describe the cognitive processes involved in information processing. In…

Empirical evidence has consistently shown that interactive questions are an effective strategy for strengthening student learning through instructional videos. However, research has not directly addressed the crucial question of whether the beneficial effects of interactive questions in instructional videos are attributable to the presence of…

Teachers' knowledge of students' mathematical thinking is a growing area of research in mathematics education. The literature has reported plentiful evidence of the interplays between teachers' mathematical knowledge and their knowledge of students' mathematical thinking. The present study builds on this body of work to explain how such interplays…

Over 10 years of the new college entrance examination reform, the flexible subject selection model has posed challenges to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) majors education in Chinese universities. The relaxation of subject requirements has led to diverse knowledge backgrounds among students, resulting in some lacking a solid…

In this study, we compared the effectiveness of two instructional approaches--modeling and generative tasks--within case-based instruction (CBI) in developing preservice teachers' classroom case analysis skills. Forty preservice teachers were randomly assigned to engage in CBI with either a modeling or generative task, working through three…

This study investigates the correlation between learning styles (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic [VARK]) and information processing patterns (Parallel, Sequential, Top-down, and Bottom-up) among Senior High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learners, specifically in the context of Biology. The…