A class of online learners, who may come to a course or program with a variety of backgrounds and experience, cannot be assumed to have comparable preparation or all of the necessary prerequisite skills and knowledge. Adult learners in particular may not have the time or resources to follow a traditional pathway that leads to a class of relatively homogeneous and well prepared students. Gaining understanding of a student’s prior knowledge and conceptions provides instructors critical information for determining learning needs and adjustments that may be needed for course design and teaching approaches. While various kinds of pre-tests and questionnaires have been used to assess learner readiness, these methods may not provide the best insight regarding learners’ concepts in complex domains.
This presentation gives an overview of the presenter’s research and application of mental model representations to assess learner entry level conceptions. The original research was conducted at a large southern university. The subsequent research and application is being conducted at an online university. The course topic in each case is instructional design. The presentation will describe the advantages observed in a course in which mental model representations were used—as compared to the level of understanding provided the instructor when students were asked to respond to more commonly used information gathering methods.
The presentation will describe the methodology, how it is applied, and the kinds of information it can yield. Although the current application focuses on assessing learner initial conceptions, the methodology can also be used to track learner progress and compare novice and intermediate learner mental model representations with expert models. Results from the original research will be shared, and the strategy for practical application will be explained. The goal is to introduce the audience to ways in which mental model research is contributing to improvements in instructional approaches and assessment techniques.
