Written identification of errors to learn professional procedures in VET

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that the use of worked-out examples to present errors has great potential for procedural knowledge acquirement. Nevertheless, the identification of errors alone does not directly enhance a deep learning process if it is not adequately scaffolded by written self-explanations. We hypothesised that in learning a professional procedure in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) domain, written identification and analysis of errors on a faulty procedure fosters better learning outcomes than a non-written identification and even a written identification on a correct procedure. This was tested using a 2 × 2 factorial design that contrasted written vs. non-written self-explanations and correct vs. incorrect video-recorded worked-out examples. Although the use of faulty video-recorded worked-out examples did not show a clear and undisputed effect, the study validated the use of the writing process to acquire procedural knowledge. The results opened the field to future applications of ...