Investigating how students' self-efficacy and favorability towards practice influence learning gains from intelligent tutoring systems versus paper-based practice.

In plain terms

This paper investigates how student motivation, specifically their belief in their own ability (self-efficacy) and how much they like a learning method (favorability), influences learning from different types of practice. Researchers compared learning outcomes from an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) – a computer program offering personalized instruction and feedback – with traditional paper-based practice, using matched problems and a counterbalanced design to isolate effects. They found that students who started with lower baseline self-efficacy achieved greater learning gains regardless of the practice format. Among these students with lower self-efficacy, greater favorability toward the tutor was linked to better learning during tutor practice. Interestingly, ITS-based practice did not significantly improve students' post-training self-efficacy compared to paper methods. These findings suggest that tailoring practice formats to a student's motivational profile could significantly enhance learning.