The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of static pedagogical agents (included and excluded) and gamification practice (included and excluded) on vocabulary acquisition and perceptions of cognitive load by junior high students who studied Navajo

language via computer-based instructional program. A total of 153 students attending a junior high school in the southwestern United States were the participants for this study. Prior to the beginning of the study, students were randomly assigned to one of four

treatment groups who used a Navajo language computer-based program that contained a combination of static pedagogical agent (included and excluded) and gamification practice (included and excluded). There were two criterion measures in this study, a

vocabulary acquisition posttest and a survey designed both to measure students’ attitudes toward the program and to measure cognitive load. Anecdotal observations of students’ interactions were also examined.

Results indicated that there were no significant differences in posttest scores among treatment conditions; students were, however, generally successful in learning the Navajo vocabulary terms. Participants also reported positive attitudes toward the Navajo

language content and gamification practice and expressed a desire to see additional content and games during activities of this type. These findings provide evidence of the impact that computer-based training may have in teaching students an indigenous second

language. Furthermore, students seem to enjoy this type of language learning program. Many also indicated that, while static agent was not mentioned, gamification practice may enhance students’ attitudes in such instruction and is an area for future research.

Language learning programs could include a variety of gamification practice activities to assist student to learn new vocabulary. Further research is needed to study motivation and cognitive load in Navajo language computer-based training.

Guitar Hero III and similar games potentially offer a vehicle for improvement of musical rhythmic accuracy with training delivered in both visual and auditory formats and by use of its novel guitar-shaped interface; however, some theories regarding multimedia learning suggest sound is a possible source of extraneous cognitive load while playing so players may score higher with sound turned off. Also, existing studies have shown that differences in the physical format of interfaces affect learning outcomes. This study sought to determine whether (a) the game’s audio content affects rhythmic accuracy, and (b) the type of game controller used affects learning of rhythmic accuracy. One hundred participants were randomly assigned in approximately equal numbers (ns = 25) to the four cells of a 2x2 between-subjects design. The first variable was the audio content of the game with two levels: on or off. The second variable was the type of game controller: the standard guitar-style controller or tablet interface. Participants across all conditions completed a pre- and post-test with a system that required them to tap along with repeated rhythmic patterns on an electronic drum pad. Statistical evidence showed better outcomes with a tablet controller with respect to input time error, reduction of extra notes played, and reduction of missed notes; however, the guitar-style controller produced superior outcomes in terms of avoiding missed notes and was associated with higher satisfaction by participants. When audio was present better outcomes were achieved at multiple factor-levels of reduction of missed responses, but superior outcomes in input time error were seen without audio. There was no evidence to suggest an interaction between controller type and the presence or absence of audio.

The purpose of this study was to construct an instructional systems design model for chemistry teaching laboratories at the undergraduate level to accurately depict the current practices of design experts. This required identifying the variables considered during design, prioritizing and ordering these variables, and constructing a model. Experts were identified by multiple publications in the Journal of Chemical Education on undergraduate laboratories. Twelve of these individuals participated in three rounds of Delphi surveys. An initial literature review was used to construct the first survey, which established the variables of design. The second and third surveys were constructed based on the answers from the previous survey and literature review. The second survey determined the priority and order of the variables, and the third survey allowed the participating experts to evaluate the preliminary design model. The results were validated by interviewing three additional experts who had not participated in the surveys. The first round survey produced 47 variable themes identified by the experts as being important to chemistry laboratory design. Of these, 46 variable themes were determined to be important based on their responses to the second-round survey. Second-round survey results were used to determine the order in which participants consider the themes, allowing for construction of a preliminary design model. In the third round, participants found the model to be accurate, organized appropriately, easy to understand, and useful. Interviews supported these results. The final design model included five main phases with individual considerations or steps. These five phases were named planning, development, implementation, revision, and evaluation. The first four phases form a cyclic process, and they are supported by the continuous evaluation phase. The strengths of the model developed in this study include the participation of experts within the field, the ability of the model to start discussions regarding design, and the high level of agreement on the final model. This model could be refined and evaluated to determine its efficacy in assisting novice or expert designers in creating and improving experiments that support learning. The method used in this study could be used for model development in other fields.