Journal of Educational Computing Research
2006, Volume 35, Number 4, pp. 339-358.

Using Cognitive Tools in gStudy to Investigate How Study Activities Covary with Achievement Goals

John C. Nesbit, Philip H. Winne, Dianne Jamieson-Noel, Jillianne Code, Mingming Zhou, Ken MacAllister, Sharon Bratt, Wei Wang
Simon Fraser University

Allyson Hadwin
University of Victoria

Abstract
Links between students’ achievement goal orientations and learning tactics were investigated using software (gStudy) that supports a variety of learning tactics and strategies. An achievement goal questionnaire was administered to 307 students enrolled in an introductory educational psychology course. Data tracing study tactics were logged for 80 of these students who prepared for a test by studying a textbook chapter presented as a multimedia document. Using correlations and canonical correlations, we found relationships between goal orientations and activity traces indicating different forms of cognitive engagement. Notably, mastery goal orientation (approach or avoidance) was negatively related to amount of highlighting, a study tactic that is theorized to be less effective than summarizing and other forms of elaborative annotation for assembling and integrating knowledge.

Citation
Nesbit, J. C., Winne, P. H., Jamieson-Noel, D., Code, J., Zhou, M., MacAllister, K., Bratt, S., Wang, W., & Hadwin, A. F. (2006). Using cognitive tools in gStudy to investigate how study activities covary with achievement goals. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 35, 339-358.

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