Paper Info
Title
Learner-controlled selection of tasks with different surface and structural features: Effects on transfer and efficiency
Abstract
Surface task features are more salient than structural task features and thus easier to recognize for novices. It is predicted that the more salient the task features the better learners can choose personally relevant and varied tasks, which enhances learning transfer. To investigate this prediction, a 2x2 factorial experiment with 72 participants studied the effects of control over tasks that differ in their surface features (learner, program) and in their structural features (learner, program). Learner control over the selection of tasks with salient surface features enables learners to select personally relevant and varied tasks. This is believed to yield higher effectiveness (i.e., higher near and far transfer test performance) as well as higher efficiency (i.e., higher transfer test performance combined with lower associated mental effort). Learner control over the selection of tasks with non-salient structural features does not enable learners to select personally relevant and varied tasks and is therefore not expected to yield beneficial effects on learning. The results show positive effects of learner control over the selection of tasks with salient surface features for efficiency on the far transfer test but not for effectiveness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1016/j.chb.2010.05.026
Computers in Human Behavior
Keywords
Field
DocType
Cognitive load,Learner control,Program control,Structural task features,Surface task features
Social psychology,Mental effort,Mental load,Program control,Computer science,Transfer of learning,Cognitive load,Cognition,Salient
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
27
1
Computers in Human Behavior
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
8
0.60
1
Authors
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Gemma Corbalan1625.95
Liesbeth Kester223826.32
Jeroen J. G. van Merriënboer311511.38