The Role of Social Agency in Student Learning
Although the pedagogical strategy known as the personalization principle has received considerable support in the laboratory, there is little work examining its generalizability, ecological validity, and potential for statistical mediation and moderation. In 5 experiments, these topics are examined in the laboratory as well as in a real classroom setting. Experiment 1a provides evidence for moderation of the effect of the personalization principle by the learner’s score on the need to belong scale. Experiment 1b shows support for a variable that measures subjective perceptions of the learning material mediating the effect of the personalization principle on learning outcomes. Experiments 2 and 3 replicate and extend the findings from experiments 1a and 1b, and experiment 4 provides a replication of the personalization principle in a real classroom setting. The key findings of the 5 experiments provide converging evidence that the personalization principle is moderated by the need to belong variable and may be mediated by the learner’s subjective perceptions of the learning materials. These findings were replicated several times using learning material from different disciplines. Interpretations of results and implications for future research and implementation of the personalization principle are discussed.
Multimedia learning, Need to belong, Personalization Principle, Psychology, Education
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