Using Vignettes to Develop Higher-Order Thinking and Academic Achievement in Adult Learners in an Online Environment

This case study investigated the use of vignettes as a teaching strategy and learning activity of the Generative Learning Model in a hybrid online course. The Generative Learning Model, which consists of five main components: attention, motivation, knowledge, generation, and metacognition (Wittrock, 2000) was incorporated when requiring students to answer teacher-generated vignettes and to generate their own vignettes. As a result of using vignettes within the Generative Learning Model in a hybrid online course, three outcomes were anticipated: 1) enhancement of academic achievement, 2) higher order thinking, and 3) preference of the use of vignettes as compared to other teaching strategies and learning activities.</p><p> This study considered data from student work and a questionnaire collected from the Instructional Techniques Course, GITED 631, taught in the Graduate School of Education at Duquesne University in the fall of 2003. Eight participants responded to teacher-generated vignettes, created diagrams and rubrics, created their own vignettes, and recorded their thoughts concerning vignettes in reflective learning logs. These participants also completed a questionnaire that addressed the use of vignettes as a teaching strategy and learning activity. This questionnaire included a Likert-scale for rating the strategies and activities as experience in the course, a ranking section for how participants would like to learning course material (learning activities) in other courses, and a ranking section for how participants would like to teach their own courses (teaching strategies).</p><p> This research indicates that the use of teacher-generated vignettes can increase academic achievement, and that learner-generated vignettes can help students achieve higher order thinking. Within this population this study showed three significant results. First, within the Instructional Techniques course, participants preferred the use of teacher-generated vignettes to any other teaching strategy or learning activity used. Second, teacher-generated vignettes were preferred as a learning activity over all other learning activities when learning other types of course material; student generated vignettes were preferred as a learning activity when compared to lectures, student demonstrations, projects, online slide presentations, online discussions, and diagrams. Third, when considering preferences in teaching strategies, teacher-generated vignettes were ranked second to teacher demonstrations; learner-generated vignettes ranked above online presentations, online discussions, reflective learning logs, and lectures.

Name thesis:degree_name

EdD

Level thesis:degree_level

Immediate Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Instructional Leadership Excellence (ILEAD)

Year dc:date.available

2004

Author dc:creator

• Kish, Maria Helen Zanoni

Contributors dc:contributor

• William P. Barone
• Dale W. Maeder
• Linda C. Wojnar
• Ruth G. Biro

• academic achivement
• adult learners
• Generative Learning Model
• higher order thinking
• online learning
• vignettes

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/751

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-1767