Two studies investigated ways in which computer and video technology c
an support expert human coaches in order to reduce instructor time and
potentially increase access to powerful learning environments. The co
ntent goal was to drain undergraduate students to facilitate others' i
nterpersonal problem solving. In Experiment 1 the standard classroom t
reatment used instructor lecture and guided discussion, instructor mod
eling of skills, and role play, with the instructor present the full t
ime. The combined instructor/ computer/video treatment substituted com
puter instruction for lecture and video for instructor modeling. The d
ependent variable was performance in a role play. Both treatments requ
ired 9 hr of subject time, but the combined treatment reduced instruct
or time from 9 to 4.5 hr. The combined treatment yielded comparable su
bject outcomes: F(1, 25) = 1.21, p = NS. In Experiment 2, the classroo
m treatment remained essentially the same. In the optimized treatment
subjects scored videotaped examples and applied the scoring technique
in teams to their own videotaped role-play performance. Total subject
time in both treatments was 6 hr: Instructor time was 6 hr in the clas
sroom treatment and 2 hr in the combined treatment. The optimized trea
tment yielded significantly better performance: F(1, 23) = 20.27, p <.
001. Independent rating of the role plays by three counseling students
(who were blind to the experimental treatments and to the subjects as
signed to each treatment) indicated a similar result, with t(24) = 2.6
7, p <.05. We conclude that computer- and video-supported methods have
the potential to decrease instructor time and increase learner perfor
mance, even for complex interpersonal problem solving skills.