Double-fading support - a training approach to complex software systems

A new approach to software training is presented, the so-called Double-Fadi ng Support (DFS) approach. According to this approach, which is based on Ca rroll's training-wheels idea and on cognitive theories of skill acquisition , two types of user support when learning to use a complex software system - locking the software's functionality and detailed guidance - are faded ou t gradually during the training course, so that the learners are able to us e the complex software with minimal instructional support at the end of the training. Two 30-hour training experiments with two different CAD software systems and CAD-inexperienced university students were conducted. The resu lts of Experiment 1 with 88 participants indicate the effectiveness of the DFS-approach for CAD software with a deeply structured menu system. Partici pants working with the initially reduced software outperformed participants of the full software functionality group; additionally, participants of th e slowly faded guidance group outperformed participants receiving medium, f ast or no fading of guidance at all. Results of Experiment 2 with 120 parti cipants, however, indicate less effectiveness of the DFS-approach for an ic on-based CAD software in which most of relevant functions are permanently v isible to the user. It seems that the two factors (fading out the locking o f software's functionality and fading out detailed guidance) overcompensate each other.