EFFECTS OF PRACTICE AND LEARNER CONTROL ON SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM GAIN AND EFFICIENCY

This study investigated the effects of practice opportunities and lear ner control on short- and long-term learning from a computer-based int roductory statistics curriculum. In all, 380 participants were assigne d to one of five conditions. The first four conditions differed in ter ms of the number of problems to solve per problem set. The fifth condi tion allowed learners to choose the amount of practice. A subset (n = 120) of the original participants returned for testing following a six -month interval. Overall, the fixed-practice conditions showed learnin g gains that varied in relation to the amount of practice (i.e., more was better). The data from the learner-control condition was unexpecte d, showing learning gains comparable with the most extended practice c ondition yet the fastest tutor-completion times. We discuss implicatio ns of these findings in relation to the design of efficacious instruct ion. Actual or potential applications of this research include the mod ification of computer-based instruction that can enhance individuals' learning efficiency and outcome scores.