Article 2013

Written identification of errors to learn professional procedures in VET

Journal of Vocational Education and Training
Journal · Vol. 65 · Issue 4 · pp. 525-542
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 this instructional method in VET. © 2013 Elena Boldrini and Alberto Cattaneo.

Keywords

Author Keywords

vocational education and training Writing Procedural knowledge Errors worked-out examples

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Research and Preclinical Development Department, Lugano, Switzerland
Funding & Acknowledgements
Grant: BB.2009.0175
The study presented here is part of a series of activities of the Swiss “Technologies for Vocational Training” Leading House funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) [BB.2009.0175]. We would thank Claudia Sassi, Marco Ricci and all the trainers at the Società Impiegati di Commercio (SIC Ticino) whose support was fundamental for this experience; Elisa Motta, Mireille Bétrancourt, Carlo Tomasetto and Martin Brandt for their precious contributions and suggestions.
Singapore Eye Research Institute, SERI
The study presented here is part of a series of activities of the Swiss “Technologies for Vocational Training” Leading House funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) [BB.2009.0175]. We would thank Claudia Sassi, Marco Ricci and all the trainers at the Società Impiegati di Commercio (SIC Ticino) whose support was fundamental for this experience; Elisa Motta, Mireille Bétrancourt, Carlo Tomasetto and Martin Brandt for their precious contributions and suggestions.
Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation, SBFI
The study presented here is part of a series of activities of the Swiss “Technologies for Vocational Training” Leading House funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) [BB.2009.0175]. We would thank Claudia Sassi, Marco Ricci and all the trainers at the Società Impiegati di Commercio (SIC Ticino) whose support was fundamental for this experience; Elisa Motta, Mireille Bétrancourt, Carlo Tomasetto and Martin Brandt for their precious contributions and suggestions.
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