COGNITIVE CONSTRAINTS ON COMPUTER PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

This research uses a cognitive theoretical approach to understand how knowledge and processing demands influence the acquisition of computer problem-solving skills. Participants whose UNIX experience varied wer e asked to produce complex UNIX commands, and they were provided with help prompts when they made errors. The prompts were designed to addre ss specific deficits in UNIX knowledge and to manipulate working memor y demands. Findings suggest that prompting novices with required knowl edge is not sufficient to obtain correct performance; they must receiv e additional assistance that reduces working memory demands. The findi ngs are applied to the design and test of a graphical computer support interface.