A comparison of approaches to learning task selection in the training of complex cognitive skills

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Abstract

This paper presents a comparison of learning task selection approaches that have been used throughout the last three decades in the training of complex cognitive skills. In general, a development from static part-task selection to dynamic whole-task selection can be noticed. The four approaches of static part-task approaches, static whole-task approaches, dynamic part-task approaches, and dynamic whole-task approaches are identified and compared in terms of their flexibility and adaptability to the needs of the individual trainee during training. The comparison shows that dynamic whole-task approaches are the most flexible and adaptive. For each approach it is discussed to what complex cognitive skills they might be useful training methods.

Section snippets

A comparison of learning task selection approaches in the training of complex cognitive skills

Employees are faced with increasingly demanding working environments in modern society. Especially in technical domains such as aircraft control and chemical industry, in which mistakes can lead to dangerous situations and high costs. However, the available training time in which the complex job skills have to be mastered is limited. The question of how employees can be efficiently trained is considered important. This paper presents a comparison of learning task selection approaches in the

Discussion

The comparison has shown that part-task approaches were proposed because it was considered impossible to start training with highly complex learning tasks. This would overload a learner’s cognitive system and lead to negative effects on learning, performance and motivation (Sweller et al., 1998). However, determining useful parts from a whole-task proved to be quite difficult (Gopher et al., 1989). Furthermore, part-task approaches cannot easily account for the integrative aspects of complex

Ron Salden is a Ph.D. student at the Open University of the Netherlands. He received a Masters degree in cognitive psychology in 2000 from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

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    Ron Salden is a Ph.D. student at the Open University of the Netherlands. He received a Masters degree in cognitive psychology in 2000 from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

    Fred Paas is an associate professor of educational technology at the Open University of the Netherlands. He received a Ph.D. in instructional technology in 1993 from the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

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