TY - JOUR
T1 - Enhancing learning in a virtual world using highly elaborative reminiscing as a reflective tool
AU - Nicholas, Michelle
AU - van Bergen, Penny
AU - Richards, Deborah
PY - 2015/4
Y1 - 2015/4
N2 - While virtual worlds are increasingly being used to provide technology-assisted experiential learning opportunities, no research has yet considered the use of reflective reminiscing within these worlds. Drawing on a strong body of developmental research, in which children's recall for past experiences is enhanced by parents' "high elaborative" reminiscing (open-ended questions, detail), we tested each element of this reminiscing style with adult learners. Ninety-eight undergraduate students were guided through a virtual event, a reflective reminiscing phase, and a memory test (free recall, multiple-choice). In free recall, a questioning main effect emerged. Students who had been asked open- versus close-ended questions during reminiscing deliberated for longer, and subsequently recalled more. When reminiscing time was controlled, those given high detail instead recalled more. In the multiple-choice test, an interaction emerged. Participants scored higher if given both open-ended questions and high detail during reminiscing. We suggest that reminiscing be employed as a reflective tool to enhance learning within virtual worlds, but only if a high-elaborative reminiscing style is used.
AB - While virtual worlds are increasingly being used to provide technology-assisted experiential learning opportunities, no research has yet considered the use of reflective reminiscing within these worlds. Drawing on a strong body of developmental research, in which children's recall for past experiences is enhanced by parents' "high elaborative" reminiscing (open-ended questions, detail), we tested each element of this reminiscing style with adult learners. Ninety-eight undergraduate students were guided through a virtual event, a reflective reminiscing phase, and a memory test (free recall, multiple-choice). In free recall, a questioning main effect emerged. Students who had been asked open- versus close-ended questions during reminiscing deliberated for longer, and subsequently recalled more. When reminiscing time was controlled, those given high detail instead recalled more. In the multiple-choice test, an interaction emerged. Participants scored higher if given both open-ended questions and high detail during reminiscing. We suggest that reminiscing be employed as a reflective tool to enhance learning within virtual worlds, but only if a high-elaborative reminiscing style is used.
KW - Episodic memory
KW - Elaborative reminiscing
KW - Reflection
KW - Virtual world
KW - Experiential learning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84919782695&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.12.002
DO - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.12.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84919782695
SN - 0959-4752
VL - 36
SP - 66
EP - 75
JO - Learning and Instruction
JF - Learning and Instruction
ER -