Effects of Practice Sequence Variations on the Transfer of Complex Cognitive Skills Practiced in Computer-Based Instruction David W
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 Effects of Practice Sequence Variations on the Transfer of Complex Cognitive Skills Practiced in Computer-Based Instruction David W. Nelson Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION EFFECTS OF PRACTICE SEQUENCE VARIATIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF COMPLEX COGNITIVE SKILLS PRACTICED IN COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION By DAVID W. NELSON 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 Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2006 The members of the committee approved the dissertation of David W. Nelson defended on March 3, 2006. _____________________________ Robert K. Branson Professor Directing Dissertation _____________________________ Dale W. Lick Outside Committee Member _____________________________ A. Aubteen Darabi Committee Member _____________________________ Gary Peterson Committee Member Approved: _______________________________________________________________ Frances Prevatt, Chair, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii To my mother, Anna Mae Nelson, and my father, Willard Harry Nelson, who taught, showed, encouraged, and empowered me to learn and perform, who allowed me to find my own way in the world and continually encouraged me to pursue the things that fascinated me. To my sons, Erik Josef Nelson and Garrett Christopher Nelson, who inspired me to rise above my own expectations. To my brother Ben Albert Nelson, who modeled superior performance and academic excellence. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures..................................................................................................................viii Abstract.............................................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 Statement of the Problem........................................................................................ 1 Context of the Problem........................................................................................... 2 Significance of the Study........................................................................................ 8 Theory and Rationale.............................................................................................. 9 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................. 10 Summary ............................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ..................................................................... 13 Conflation of Terms.............................................................................................. 15 Contextual Interference Effect and the Transfer Paradox .................................... 16 Contextual Interference and Complex Cognitive Skills ....................................... 20 Cognitive Load Theory: Schema Development and Rule Automation ................ 22 Summary ............................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 3 METHOD .................................................................................................. 26 Participants............................................................................................................ 29 Instructional Materials .......................................................................................... 29 Variables ............................................................................................................... 30 Instruments............................................................................................................ 32 Procedure .............................................................................................................. 34 Research Design and Analysis.............................................................................. 40 iv CHAPTER 4 RESULTS................................................................................................... 42 Tests of Assumptions............................................................................................ 42 Test Effect............................................................................................................. 49 Item and Test Analyses......................................................................................... 49 Descriptions of Groups ......................................................................................... 51 Tests of Hypotheses .............................................................................................. 52 Secondary Analyses.............................................................................................. 52 Tertiary Analyses.................................................................................................. 56 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION............................................................................................. 60 Summary of Results in Context ............................................................................ 60 Interpretation of Results........................................................................................ 62 Outcomes of Gainers............................................................................................. 67 Implications for Instructional Design and Learning Theory ................................ 69 Implications for Further Research ........................................................................ 72 APPENDIX A INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD DOCUMENTATION................ 75 APPENDIX B PRETEST ................................................................................................. 80 APPENDIX C TRANSFER TEST ................................................................................... 82 APPENDIX D SCALE AND ITEM ANALYSIS RESULTS.......................................... 85 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 93 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ............................................................................................ 97 v LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Practice Trials, Transfer Measures, and Effect Sizes in Two Studies of Complex Cognitive Skills......................................................................................... 25 Table 3.1 Relations among Experimental Treatments and Expected Transfer Performance .............................................................................................................. 28 Table 4.1 Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test of Normality Within Experimental Groups......... 43 Table 4.2 Levene’s Test of Homogeneity of Variance Across Experimental Groups .... 44 Table 4.3 Means, Standard Deviations, and Numbers of Scores Analyzed for Experimental and Control Groups on the Pretest, Posttest, Transfer Test, and the Number of Practice Trials................................................................................... 51 Table 4.4 One-Way Analysis of Variance Summary for Transfer Test Scores............... 52 Table 4.5 Mean Mental Effort Invested During Practice................................................. 53 Table 4.6 Descriptive Statistics of Time Spent in Initial Instruction by Experimental Treatment .................................................................................................................. 56 Table 4.7 Intercorrelations and Probabilities of Data for All Dependent Measures ....... 57 Table 4.8 Adjusted Means and Standard Error for Gainers by Experimental Group on Performance and Transfer Controlling for Prior Knowledge .............................. 59 Table D.1 Pretest Statistics for Items Sorted by Task Class............................................ 86 Table D.2 Pretest Subscale 1 Items: Words Between Subject and Verb......................... 87 Table D.3 Pretest Subscale 2 Items: Verb Before Subject .............................................. 87 Table D.4 Pretest Subscale 3 Items: Compound Subject................................................. 88 Table D.5 Pretest Subscale 4 Items – Indefinite Pronouns.............................................. 88 vi Table D.6 Posttest Statistics for Items Sorted by Task Class .......................................... 89 Table D.7 Posttest Subscale 1 Items – Words Between Subject and Verb ..................... 90 Table D.8 Posttest Subscale 2 Items – Verb Before Subject........................................... 90 Table D.9 Posttest Subscale 3 Items – Compound Subjects............................................ 91 Table D.10 Posttest Subscale 4 Items – Indefinite Pronouns .......................................... 91 Table D.11 Transfer Test Items Sorted by Task Class .................................................... 92 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1. Proposed causal factors associated with the effects of practice sequence on transfer task performance....................................................................................