Cognitive Styles, Cognitive Processing and Perceptual Curiosity in Online and Traditional Academic Learning Context

Florin-Vasile Frumos, Adrian-Vicenţiu Labăr

The complexity and importance of the learning processes generated a great number of researches on this subject. Many authors focused their studies on definition and refinement of the psychological constructs, aiming to elaborate various scales for measuring learning “styles”, learning “modes” and learning processes developed in learning tasks. This study aims to use several instruments measuring learning style for testing learning processes involved in traditional and online learning environments. Some of the most important instruments on learning styles and processes were applied on a sample of 545 participants: Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI), Participant Perception Inventory-Internet versus Traditional Learning (PPI-IvT) questionnaire and Epistemic Curiosity Scale (ECS). The dimensions of these scales were related with three important dimensions of face-to-face (traditional) learning experiences and online learning experiences: capability, experience and interest.

learning styles, learning processes, perceptual curiosity, online and traditional learning

FLORIN-VASILE FRUMOS – PhD, Lecturer, Department of Teacher Training, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi. E-mail: frumos@uaic.ro.
ADRIAN-VICENŢIU LABĂR – PhD, Associate lecturer, Department of Teacher Training, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi. E-mail: vicentiu80@yahoo.com