The modelling of 'dissonant' study orchestration in higher education

Attention is drawn in the present study to atypical patterns of contextualised learning engagement that are often difficult to interpret because, at face value, they exhibit varying degrees of conceptual dissonance. Against a summary of the practical and methodological problems associated with researching the phenomenon of 'dissonance', a review is presented of how it may manifest itself in differing contexts, and with what implied or observed associated effects. The empirical question of how 'dissonance' may be interpreted and modelled is addressed and it is argued that, in general, the phenomenon cart be naturally accommodated within an interference observed model of student learning by virtue of violations of defined 'conceptual boundaries within the model at an individual, or subgroup, response level. An example of an observed interference model of student learning in the form of a common factor model is introduced and is then further used to illustrate how such conceptual violations may occur in practice.