Practice relevance and feedback information load in a vocational computer-based training on quality management

Based on cognitive theories it is expected that participants in vocational computer-based training will learn better if they are presented material wh ich is highly relevant for vocational practice and if they receive highly i nformative feedback. 60 adult persons were randomly assigned to the cells o f a 2*2-design representing the factors feedback information load and pract ice-relevance of training content. This content was chosen from industrial quality management as there is currently a specific training need due to th e pressure towards ISO-9000-related certification. The experiment went as f ollows: (1) tutorial; (2) pretest; (3) 30 minutes of computer-based trainin g with examples of low vs. high practice-relevance, each example being foll owed by feedback with low vs. high information load; (4) posttest. The resu lts showed that increased feedback information went together with an increa sed amount of knowledge acquisition. In addition, an interaction of feedbac k information load and practice-relevance of training content was observed: Increased practice relevance of training content was only effective when h ighly informative feedback was implemented at the same time. The results ar e discussed concerning the improvement of training, especially computer-bas ed training.