Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Página 494 de 957
data. Characteristics of the alternative theory can also influence how students will respond
to anomalous data that supports this alternative theory. An alternative theory must be
available, it must be accurate, the scope of the theory must match the data, the theory
must be consistent, and should be simple. Finally, the anomalous data itself must be
credible, unambiguous so it cannot easily be reinterpreted, and be confirmed by multiple
data sources. Students must also be willing to commit to the deep processing necessary to
evaluate the anomalous data and potentially modify their understanding. Each of these
factors can be addressed through appropriate instructional techniques.
Figure 1: The Cognitive Reconstruction of Knowledge Model (From Dole & Sinatra, 1998)
Another way of understanding students’ responses to anomalous data is the Cognitive
Reconstruction of Knowledge Model (CRKM), shown in Figure 1 (Dole & Sinatra, 1998).
The model begins with an existing conception. A learner’s willingness to change is based
on the strength of this existing conception, its coherence, and the learner’s commitment.
The authors identified several motivations that can lead to conceptual change, including
dissatisfaction with the concept, personal relevance, social context, and the need for
cognition. Conceptual change requires a message with a new, alternative concept that
must be comprehensible, coherent, plausible, and rhetorically compelling. If all of these
elements line up and the learner is highly engaged, strong conceptual change can occur. If
the learner is not engaged, weak conceptual change can occur, and in either case it is also
possible that no conceptual change will occur.
An important aspect of Dole & Sinatra’s (1998) model is that it identifies the role of
learners’ affective states in determining if conceptual change will occur. They recognize
that motivation and engagement play a significant role in how students will respond to
attempts to encourage conceptual change. Pintrich, Marx, & Boyle (1993) also reject the
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011