The study investigated the effects of two instructional approaches (part-task vs. whole-task) and levels of learner expertise (novice vs. advanced) on learner acquisition and transfer of a complex cognitive skill (e.g., preparing a grade book in Excel). In addition, the study examined the effects of these variables on learners' cognitive load, instructional efficiencies, time on task and their attitudes towards the instruction. Fifty-one undergraduate students (pre-service teachers) in four sections of an Introduction to Educational Technology course participated in the study. Two sections were assigned to each of the two instructional approaches (part-task vs. whole-task). In the part-task condition, a complex skill was decomposed into a series of smaller tasks, each of which was demonstrated and practiced separately; the whole skill was practiced at the end of instruction after practicing part skill. In the whole-task condition, which was based on the 4C/ID-model (van Merrienboer, 1997), learners were exposed to the entire complex skill right from the beginning of the instruction and were required to practice performing a series of whole tasks. Two 60-minute instructor-led lessons were designed and developed for this study. In each treatment group, the two lessons were presented on the same day, with a five minute break separating the two lessons. The results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the two treatment groups (whole-task > part-task) on (a) whole-task performance, (b) far-transfer performance, (c) instructional efficiency on the whole-task performance, and d) instructional efficiency on the far-transfer performance. However, no significant differences were found for (a) cognitive load, (b) time spent on the whole-task test, (c) time spent on the far-transfer test, and (d) attitudes toward instruction. In terms of the levels of learner expertise, the results yielded no interaction among the groups on any of the dependent measures described above; in many cases, however, there were significant differences between the novice and advanced learners, with the advanced learners demonstrating (a) higher scores on the far-transfer test, (b) higher efficiency on the whole-task test, (c) higher efficiency on the far-transfer test, (d) less time spent on the part-task test, and (e) more confidence toward the instruction. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2006. / March 2, 2006. / Teacher Education, Instructional Efficiency, Instructional Design, Cognitive Load, Transfer of Learning, 4C/ID-Model, Training, Contextual Interference / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert A. Reiser, Professor Directing Dissertation; Neil Charness, Outside Committee Member; J. Michael Spector, Committee Member; Zane Olina, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_182637 |
| Contributors | Lim, Jung Hyun (authoraut), Reiser, Robert A. (professor directing dissertation), Charness, Neil (outside committee member), Spector, J. Michael (committee member), Olina, Zane (committee member), Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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