Degree Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

1989

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

First Advisor

E. Ann Thompson

Abstract

This study investigated the potential of two major effects of incorporating systematic analogical reasoning training within guided Logo programming instruction. The first goal was to investigate the far transfer effects of such instruction on general analogical reasoning development, as measured by a test associated with general analogical reasoning. The second goal was to investigate the near transfer effects of such instruction on a related computer programming skill--the reuse of subprocedures between programming problems;To provide general analogical reasoning training within a guided programming environment, this study incorporated Swan and Black's suggested pedagogical components for the effective transfer of cognitive skills from programming. To meet the direct instruction component, Sternberg's component processes of analogical reasoning were used to provide an instructional framework;The study used a post-test only control group design. Students were randomly placed into one of two treatment groups: (1) guided Logo programming instruction, or (2) more traditional exploratory Logo programming instruction. Both groups received the same instructional content, with only the instructional treatment delivering that content varied between treatment groups;Far and near transfer results were considered tentative due to the exploratory nature of the study. Far transfer results indicated significant interaction between a student's year in college and the experimental treatment, with guided programming instruction facilitating the performance of college freshmen, and hindering the performance of college juniors. Near transfer results indicated that the guided instruction did not significantly increase student reuse of subprocedures between programming problems. Auxiliary study results indicated that the constructed programming test may not have effectively elicited the instructed analogical reasoning strategy.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31274/rtd-180813-9038

Publisher

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University, http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/

Copyright Owner

Nealy Frank Grandgenett

Language

en

Proquest ID

AAI8920133

File Format

application/pdf

File Size

302 pages

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