Thesis :: Anderson, D. (1994). The effect of pre-orienting year eight students to the informal learning environment of a science museum on cognitive learning. Unpublished master's thesis, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

last updated: 2008-05-09 14:51:30

Abstract

This Thesis reports on research in the area of perceived novelty and its effect on cognitive learning in year eight students visiting an informal learning environment, specifically that of an Interactive Science Museum. A sample of 75 students was randomly selected and stratified according to gender and prior visitation experience (background) to the particular informal setting. Half of the students were given an orientation as to the physical features and layout of the informal setting which was intended to moderate the level of perceived novelty to lower levels than the control group. After visiting the science museum a post-test was given to measure the level of cognitive knowledge about 19 exhibits. It was found that students who underwent novelty reducing, pre-orientation to the physical environment and had prior visitation experience, derived greater cognitive knowledge than any of their counterparts. Gender did not have any significant effect on learning when perceived novelty level and prior exposure were considered. Further, the relationships between students' response on a post-test instrument, the students' ability to recall exhibits, exhibit content/familiarity, and whether students deemed exhibits to be interesting and/or puzzling, were investigated from the subsequent data gathered. Among the relationships revealed, of most significance was the fact that students derived the greatest cognitive learning from exhibits that they later deemed to be both interesting and puzzling. This abstract was written and provided by the author.

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