THE EFFECT OF ADAPTIVE INSTRUCTION AND COGNITIVE STYLE ON DISORIENTATION AND COGNITIVE LOAD

E. Gulnaz Cesur Demiroren
Ankara University

Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of adaptive learning and cognitive style on disorientation and cognitive load of students. The study is carried out with thirty-nine university students. One of the independent variables in this study is learning environment which has two sub levels: adaptive environment and non-adaptive environment. The second independent variable is cognitive style which has two sub levels: field dependent and field independent. Dependent variables of this study are disorientation and cognitive load. Two learning environments which are adaptive and non-adaptive are created for 4 weeks of study period and students are trained for HTML by way of these both environments. At first, students are divided in two groups with regard to their cognitive style. Then, these students are assigned to adaptive and non-adaptive environment without bias. In adaptive environment, the student modeling is viii made considering pre-information level. Also, adaptive presentation and adaptive navigation are used together. Mann-Whitney U and t-test are used in order to evaluate study goals. According to findings, students who are studying on the adaptive environment disoriented less and has lower cognitive load than the students who are studying on the non-adaptive environment. Disorientation and cognitive load level of field independent students studying on adaptive environment is lower than field dependent students studying on adaptive environment.

Keywords

Adaptive learning, Cognitive load, Disorientation, Cognitive style.

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