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A Methodology for Comparing Mental Model Representations Linda Jane Smith

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A Methodology for Comparing Mental Model Representations Linda Jane Smith Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2009 Graph and Property Set Analysis: A Methodology for Comparing Mental Model Representations Linda Jane Smith Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION GRAPH AND PROPERTY SET ANALYSIS: A METHODOLOGY FOR COMPARING MENTAL MODEL REPRESENTATIONS By LINDA JANE SMITH A Dissertation su mitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded, Spring Semester, .000 The mem ers of the Committee appro1e the Dissertation of Linda Jane Smith defended on No1em er .2, .008. J. Michael Spector Professor Directing Dissertation Ian Douglas Outside Committee Mem er Tristan E. Johnson Committee Mem er Vanessa P. Dennen Committee Mem er Appro1ed, A5ihito 6amata, Chair, Educational Psychology and Learning Systems The Office of Graduate Studies has 1erified and appro1ed the a o1e named committee mem ers. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Ta les ................................................................................................................................. 1 List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... 1i A stract ...................................................................................................................................... 1iii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 CHAPTER . LITERATURE REVIE8 ........................................................................................ 8 De1elopment of Mental Model Theory ............................................................................. 8 The Place of Models in Learning and Instruction ............................................................ 13 Conceptual Change and Mental Model Assessment Points ............................................. .. Importance of Mental Model Assessment for Instructional Design ................................ .5 Status of Mental Model Assessment ................................................................................ .8 Mental Model Assessment Needs Not Being Addressed with A1aila le Approaches .... 40 How the Proposed Methodology Addresses Some of the Assessment Needs ................. 44 CHAPTER 3 METHODS ............................................................................................................ 42 Research Focus ................................................................................................................ 48 Description of the Mental Model Comparison Methodology .......................................... 40 Study ................................................................................................................................ 5. CHAPTER 4 RESULTS .............................................................................................................. 20 Adequacy of Training ...................................................................................................... 20 The Mental Model Elicitation Process ............................................................................. 2. Mental Model Representations ........................................................................................ 24 Quantitati1e Comparison of Models ................................................................................ 7. Qualitati1e Comparison of Student Models to Their Professor>s Model ........................ 73 Comparisons of Student Bac5grounds and the Focus and Perspecti1es in Their Models 75 Conceptions and Possi le Misconceptions Identified in Student Models ....................... 72 Case Re1iew ? Creating a Mental Model Representation ............................................... 77 Inter1iews with the Three Experienced Designers .......................................................... 8. CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................ 85 Research Question 1 ........................................................................................................ 85 The Role of Properties Data in Model Analysis .............................................................. 87 Quantitati1e Analysis in Model Comparisons ................................................................. 80 Qualitati1e Analysis in Model Comparisons ................................................................... 01 Additional Comments a out Mental Models and Their Representation ......................... 05 Research Question . ........................................................................................................ 02 Considerations for De1eloping a Mental Model Assessment Tool ................................. 08 iii Limitations ....................................................................................................................... 08 CHAPTER 2 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 100 Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 100 Future De1elopment and Research ................................................................................ 101 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 107 A A Methodology for Comparing Mental Model Representations ............................. 107 B Application of Graph Theory for the Comparison of Model Representations, A Prototype Study Using Descriptions of Instructional Design......................................... 1.3 C Study Training Materials .......................................................................................... 13. D Human Su Aects Appro1al ....................................................................................... 130 E Report for Professor ................................................................................................. 148 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 181 BIOGRAPHICAL S6ETCH ..................................................................................................... 187 i1 LIST OF TABLES Ta le 1. Assessment Points for Learner Mental Models.............................................................. .4 Ta le .. Summary of Current Approaches to Mental Model Assessment .................................. 38 Ta le 3.Milestones in the De1elopment and Formati1e E1aluation of the Methodology ........... 47 Ta le 4. Student Responses to the Post-training Questionnaire .................................................. 21 Ta le 5. Professor Responses to the Post-training Questionnaire ................................................ 21 Ta le 2. Student Responses to the Post-elicitation Questionnaire ............................................... 2. Ta le 7. Professor Responses to the Post-elicitation Questionnaire ............................................ 23 Ta le 8. Quantitati1e Comparisons of Student and Other Experienced Designer Models to the Model of the Professor Teaching the Class ....................................................................... 73 Ta le 0. Summary of Differences etween Professor and Student Models ................................. 74 Ta le 10. Summary of Bac5grounds and Student Graph Perspecti1es y Country .................... 75 Ta le 11. Summary of Bac5grounds and Student Graph Perspecti1es y Experience ................ 72 Ta le 1..Basic Voca ulary Tree ................................................................................................. 88 Ta le 13.Vertex Summary ......................................................................................................... 117 Ta le 14. Edge Summary ........................................................................................................... 118 Ta le 15.Model Comparison Summary ..................................................................................... 1.0 Ta le 12.Summary of the Model Comparison ........................................................................... 1.8 1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. The effect of elicitation techniques on the le1el of similarity etween internal and external models....................................................................................................................... 3 Figure .. Internal and external models in learning and instruction ............................................. 14 Figure 3. Framewor5 for model ased learning for specific content goals C ased on Clement, .000D .................................................................................................................................... .1 Figure 4. Outcomes in the expression of a mental model ............................................................ 30 Figure 5. Examples of simple Pathfinder-style networ5s ............................................................ 3. Figure 2. Example of a cogniti1e map deri1ed from textual analysis ......................................... 34 Figure 7. Example of a concept map C ased on Jonassen, .004D ...............................................
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