Effect of embedding a cognitive diagnosis into the adaptive dynamic assessment of spatial geometry learning

ABSTRACT

To achieve adaptive learning, a dynamic assessment system equipped with a cognitive diagnosis was developed for this study, which adopts a three-stage model of diagnosis-intervention-assessment. To examine how this system influenced spatial geometry learning, the study used a quasi-experimental method to investigate student learning outcomes between different groups. One hundred sixteen junior high school students participating in the experiment were divided into experimental and control groups. Experimental group engaged in adaptive learning as they corrected their misconceptions in the learning intervention stage by using learning content provided according to their cognitive diagnosis results. Control group engaged in nonadaptive learning; they corrected misconceptions using self-selected learning content and thus engaged in learning activities that were not focused on their misconceptions. The results revealed that the adaptive learning students exhibited learning performance and misconception correction ratios superior to those in the control group. Through analysis, we discovered that nearly half of the nonadaptive learning students failed to select appropriate learning content for correcting their misconceptions. In addition, the time spent on learning by the students in the two groups was significantly different; the adaptive learning students spent significantly less time on learning than the nonadaptive students, thus exhibiting higher learning efficiency.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive diagnosis
• adaptive learning
• dynamic assessment
• spatial geometry learning
• Bayesian network

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the National Science Council Taiwan [grant number MOST 107-2511-H-003-027-MY3] and the “Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences” of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education Republic of China (Taiwan).

Notes on contributors

Lin-Jung Wu

Lin-Jung Wu holds a B.Sc. in statistics and information management from Fu-Jen Catholic University in 1999. She received a M.Sc. of technology education and Ph.D. Candidate of Information and Computer Education from National Taiwan Normal University in 2005 and 2012. Since 2000, she joined the faculty of High school (2000–2001) and Junior high school (2002-now) in New Taipei City, Taiwan. She had been as a Director of Educational Affairs Division (2016–2017), Director of General Affairs Division (2014–2015) in Junior high school, and fellow of Compulsory Education Counseling Group in mathematics (2011-now) in New Taipei City. Her research interests focus on mobile learning, interactive cognitive diagnosis, and game-based learning.

Kuo-En Chang

Kuo-En Chang holds a B.Sc. in electronic engineering from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in 1984. He received a M.Sc. and PhD of electrical engineering from National Taiwan University in 1986 and 1990. Since 1987, he joined the faculty of Graduate Institute of Information and Computer Education, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), Taipei, Taiwan. He had been as a Director of Computer Center (1990–1993), a Head of Department (2001–2003), and a Head of Library (2004–2007) in NTNU. He also was a Vice President of NTNU from 2006 to 2010. From 2010 to 2018, he was a President of NTNU. He is currently a Chair Professor in School of Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University. He is also affiliated with institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University. His research interests deal largely with design of interactive learning, AR-based instructional system, and game-based learning.