STUDIES IN ABSTRACTION LEARNING: IV. THE TRANSFER EFFECTS OF CONCEPTUAL VS. ROTE INSTRUCTION IN A SIMULATED CLASSROOM SITUATION,
Abstract
Two groups of subjects which differed in the method of instruction employed in learning to operate an automatic electric calculator were compared. The Rote group received direct practive in the operation of a Friden calculator. The Concept group received a type of instructional exercise which abstracted the controlling cues from a particular machine and presented them to the subject in a more generalized and symbolic form which, it was hypothesized, could be transferred efficeintly from one macine to another. Two control groups were employed to provide baseline data for evaluating the effectiveness of the several types of training on the acquisition, retention, and transfer of skill in calculator operation. The most important finding was the high retention and transfer of abstraction learning (Concept group) as compared with perceptual learning (Rote group). On the theoretical level, this is interpreted as confirming the principle that performance based upon response to symbolically mediated cues shows greater flexibility in utilization (transfer) than does performance based upon response to presently given external stimuli. It was shown that a training exercise making use of only paper-and-pencil materials (Concept group) can provide a type of training which results in equal retention and superior transfer to that produced by a training exercise involving direct practice in the operation of the task machine (Rote group); retention and transfer in each case being measured in terms of actual proficiency in machine operation. (Author) (See also AD-220 930
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1960
- Accession Number
- AD0236068
Entities
People
- Leland E. Thune
- Stanford C. Erickson
Organizations
- Vanderbilt University