Optimizing the number of steps in learning tasks for complex skills.
BACKGROUND
Carrying out whole tasks is often too difficult for novice learners attempting to acquire complex skills. The common solution is to split up the tasks into a number of smaller steps. The number of steps must be optimized for efficient and effective learning.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is to investigate the relation between the number of steps provided to learners and the quality of their learning of complex skills. It is hypothesized that students receiving an optimized number of steps will learn better than those receiving either the whole task in only one step or those receiving a large number of steps.


METHODS
Participants were 35 sophomore law students studying at Dutch universities, mean age=22.8 years (SD=3.5), 63% were female.


METHODS
Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 computer-delivered versions of a multimedia programme on how to prepare and carry out a law plea. The versions differed only in the number of learning steps provided. Videotaped plea-performance results were determined, various related learning measures were acquired and all computer actions were logged and analyzed.


RESULTS
Participants exposed to an intermediate (i.e. optimized) number of steps outperformed all others on the compulsory learning task. No differences in performance on a transfer task were found. A high number of steps proved to be less efficient for carrying out the learning task.


CONCLUSIONS
An intermediate number of steps is the most effective, proving that the number of steps can be optimized for improving learning.
Nadolski
Rob J
RJ
Educational Technology Expertise Centre, Open University of The Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands. rob.nadolski@ou.nl
Kirschner
Paul A
PA
van Merriënboer
Jeroen J G
JJ
D000328:Adult; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D013334:Students; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014495:Universities