Exploring the relationships between working memory capacity, academic reading, and academic achievement in online distance e-learning first-year students

Abstract

Working memory (WM) is a neural system that plays a role in all complex thinking processes, including academic reading and learning. Research exploring the relationships between WM, academic reading, and academic achievement within online higher education is, however, limited. These relationships are particularly under-researched within the South African context. This study thus used a non-experimental ex post facto cross-sectional design to quantitatively investigate whether WM is associated with the academic reading and academic achievement of online distance e-learning first-year tertiary students attending the University of South Africa, and to evaluate the use of two open-source web-based WM tasks. One hundred and thirty-six young adult participants completed a demographic and background information survey, an academic reading test, the Reading Span, and the Operation Span. The latter two tasks were developed by the researcher and served as measures of working memory capacity (WMC). Participants’ final end-of-course grades were requested from the university, and the results showed that WMC was significantly correlated with both academic reading and academic achievement. Findings furthermore illustrated the acceptable performance of both WMC tasks, providing a crucial resource in South African WM research. Findings are interpreted in relation to existing scholarship regarding cognitive functioning, academic reading, and academic achievement. Implications for higher education institutions and future research are discussed.

I-Working memory (i-WM) iwuhlelo lwezodluliswa kwemiyalezo eya nebuya engqondweni olubamba iqhaza kuzo zonke izinqubo ezinzulu zokucabanga, okubandakanya ukufunda okubhaliwe nokufunda okwenziwayo ngokwenqubo yezemfundo. Ucwaningo oluhlola ubudlelwano phakathi kwe-WM, ukufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo, kanye nempumelelo kwezemfundo emfundweni esezingeni eliphakeme oluqhutshwa nge-inthanethi, aluluningi. Aluluningi ucwaningo olwenziwe ngalobu budlelwano esimweni saseNingizimu Afrika. Ngenxa yalokho, lolu cwaningo lumiswe ngokohlelo olucubungula imininingwane eseyaqoqwa ebantwini abaningi ukuze kuhlolwe ngokocwaningo lwekhwantithethivu ukuthi ingabe i-WM iyahambisana na nokufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo kanye nempumelelo kwezemfundo kubafundi abafundela ekhaya abafunda ngokohlelo lwe inthanethi abasonyakeni wokuqala esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme abafunda eNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Afrika, kanye nokuhlola ukusetshenziswa kwemisebenzi ye-WM emibili yesoftiwe yamahhala esebenza nge-inthanethi. Ababambiqhaza abayikhulu namashumi amathathu nesithupha bagcwalisa ucwaningo lwemininingwane eqondene nabo siqu kanye nolwazi oluyisendlalelo, isivivinyo sokufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo, Isikhathi Sokufunda Okubhaliwe, kanye Nesikhathi Sokusebenza. Le misebenzi emibili yasungulwa wumcwaningi futhi yasebenza njengezindlela yokukala ubungako be-working memory (i-WMC). Amazinga ababambiqhaza okugcina ekupheleni kohlelo acelwa enyuvesi, bese imiphumela yaveze ukuthi i-WMC beyihambisana kakhulu nokufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo kanye nemiphumela yezemfundo. Imiphumela iqhubeke yaveza ukusebenza okwamukelekayo kwemisebenzi ye-WMC yomibili, okuhlinzeke ngomthombo obaluleke kakhulu ocwaningweni lwe-WM lwaseNingizimu Afrika. Imiphumela ifundwa ngokuqhathaniswa nemibhalo yabacwaningi ekhona mayelana nokusebenza komqondo, ukufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo, kanye nemiphumela kwezemfundo. Kudingidwa imithelela ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme kanye nocwaningo lwangomuso.

Werksgeheue (working memory, WM) is ’n neurale stelsel wat ’n rol in alle komplekse denkprosesse, insluitend akademiese lees en leer, speel. Navorsing wat die verwantskappe tussen WM, akademiese lees en akademiese prestasie in aanlyn hoër onderwys ondersoek, is egter beperk. Daar is veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks min navorsing oor hierdie verwantskappe gedoen. Hierdie studie het gevolglik ’n nie-eksperimentele ex post facto dwarssnitontwerp gebruik om kwantitatief te ondersoek of WM verband hou met die akademiese lees en akademiese prestasie van die aanlyn afstands-e-leer van eerstejaar- tersiêre studente wat by die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika ingeskryf is, en om die gebruik van twee oopbron-, webgebaseerde WM-take te evalueer. Een honderd ses-en-dertig jong volwasse deelnemers het ’n demografiese en agtergrondinligtingsopname, ’n akademieseleestoets, die leesspan (reading span), en die verwerkingspan (operation span) voltooi. Laasgenoemde twee take is deur die navorser ontwikkel en het gedien om die werksgeheuekapasiteit (working memory capacity, WMC) te meet. Deelnemers se finale punte aan die einde van die kursus is van die universiteit af aangevra en die resultate het getoon dat WMC ’n beduidende korrelasie met akademiese lees sowel as akademiese prestasie toon. Bevindings het voorts die aanvaarbare prestasie van albei WMC-take geïllustreer, en verskaf ’n noodsaaklike hulpbron in Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oor WM. Bevindings is met betrekking tot bestaande vakkundige kennis oor kognitiewe funksionering, akademiese lees en akademiese prestasie vertolk. Implikasies vir hoëronderwysinstellings en toekomstige navorsing word bespreek.