How Much Assistance Is Helpful to Students in Discovery Learning?

How much help helps in discovery learning? This question is one instance of the assistance dilemma, an important issue in the learning sciences and educational technology research. To explore this question, we conducted a study involving 87 college students solving problems in a virtual chemistry laboratory (VLab), testing three points along an assistance continuum: (1) a minimal assistance, inquiry-learning approach, in which students used the VLab with no hints and minimal feedback; (2) a mid-level assistance, tutored approach, in which students received intelligent tutoring hints and feedback while using the VLab (i.e., help given on request and feedback on incorrect steps); and (3) a high assistance, direct-instruction approach, in which students were coaxed to follow a specific set of steps in the VLab. Although there was no difference in learning results between conditions on near transfer posttest questions, students in the tutored condition did significantly better on conceptua...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: ECTEL
• Authors: Alexander Borek, Bruce M. McLaren, Michael Karabinos, David Yaron
• Keywords: Assistance Dilemma, ECTEL 2009, Machine Learning, Students Solving Problems, Tutored Condition