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Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Should online math learning environments be tailored to individuals' cognitive profiles?
Susanne M M de Mooij1, Natasha Z Kirkham2, Maartje E J Raijmakers3
1Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK; Centre for Educational Neuroscience, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK.
Online learning can improve math skills by adjusting time pressure based on a child's cognitive abilities. Tailoring cognitive load through visible or hidden time pressure optimizes performance for individual verbal working memory and inhibitory control.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Educational technology
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Online learning environments offer scalable, individualized education.
- Gamified math platforms aim to maximize skill development.
- Cognitive load, influenced by factors like time pressure, can affect learning outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how cognitive load, specifically time pressure visibility, impacts children's arithmetic performance.
- To examine the moderating roles of verbal working memory (WM) and inhibitory control (IC) in this relationship.
- To explore how individual cognitive differences influence responses to time pressure in online math games.
Main Methods:
- 39 children (8-11 years) played a computerized arithmetic game with manipulated time pressure visibility.
- Participants were assessed for verbal WM and IC capacity.
- Eye-tracking data (N=36) were analyzed to understand visual attention patterns.
Main Results:
- Verbal WM positively correlated with general arithmetic performance.
- Higher IC predicted better performance only when time pressure was not visible, particularly in younger children.
- Visible time pressure led to increased attention to questions and, for lower IC children, more frequent attention to incorrect options.
Conclusions:
- Individual cognitive profiles, specifically WM and IC, influence the effectiveness of time pressure in online math learning.
- Tailoring time pressure visibility based on cognitive capacity can enhance arithmetic performance.
- Adjusting cognitive load in educational technology may optimize learning for diverse learners.
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