DEVELOPMENT OF TEXT-EDITING SKILL - FROM SEMANTIC AND SYNTACTIC MAPPINGS TO PROCEDURES

The mapping of different semantic and syntactic elements on the acquis ition and practice of text-editing skill is used to test predictions f rom a production system model of skill development. Five text editors that use specific or general procedures that either obey a joint or a disjoint syntax have been designed and tested. Joint syntax and disjoi nt syntax, respectively, refer to whether defining the operation and t he object in a procedure is done in a single or in two different steps . Tests of the editors were carried out using a set of varied tasks pr esented in two different serial task orders. Results showed that speci fic procedures are not necessarily faster to use than general ones for simple tasks, but general ones are faster for complex ones. Moreover, specific procedures are more prone to forgetting, as users consulted the help facilities more often. Users of joint editors consulted the h elp menu less often but for a longer time than users of disjoint edito rs. They also experienced a greater workload. It is suggested that joi nt and disjoint editors differ according to the way task parameters mu st be provided to the procedures. Finally, all measures were sensitive to serial task orders. The production system model of skill developme nt is shown to provide an accurate explanation of group differences an d of serial task order effects through strength accumulation, number o f executed cycles, and cognitive operators.