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This study assessed whether learner control of feedback has a beneficial effect in student performance and attitude, focusing on whether the degree of elaboration feedback needed for high performance could be determined. Program and learner control were used at three levels of feedback, verification, correct answer, and elaboration. Subjects were 126 undergraduate education majors at a southwestern university, divided into 6 experimental groups. This study and a previous study demonstrate that verification feedback alone is insufficient for subjects to reach high levels of performance on a posttest. This study shows only a minimum improvement when elaboration was added to the correct answer feedback. The additional time and expense needed to design the instruction with elaboration feedback is probably not warranted, since students perform at almost the same level with only the correct answer. The pattern of improved performance from verification to correct answer was seen in program and learner-control conditions. Program control subjects always outperformed learner control subjects, and learner control subjects spent less time studying feedback than did program control subjects. Results suggest that program control with correct answer feedback is the most effective and efficient way to present instruction on the computer. (Contains 4 references.) (SLD)

Although both learner control and feedback have been heavily researched, very little research has been conducted on giving learners control over the feedback which they receive. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of learner control of feedback in a computer assisted instruction (CAI) lesson. The independent variables were type of control (learner or program) and level of feedback (verification or elaboration), The dependent variables were performance on a posttest, attitude toward the program, and time to study feedback. The subjects, who were 100 undergraduate education majors enrolled in an educational psychology class at a large southwestern university, used one of four CAI programs which provided either program control or learner control over verification or elaboration feedback. Results indicated that subjects who received elaboration feedback during instruction performed better than students who received verification feedback. Type of control did not have a significant influence on performance. Implications of these findings for the design of CAI are discussed. (17 references) (Author/BBM)

This study investigated the effect of types of orienting activities and practice on achievement, continuing motivation, and student behaviors in a cooperative-learning environment. Learning groups composed of graduate students viewed three instructional television lessons, which included advance organizers, objectives and verbal information, or intellectual skills practice. (46 references) (KRN)

Describes a study that was conducted to investigate the effect of cooperative learning and the need for affiliation on performance, time on task, and satisfaction of undergraduates using an instructional television lesson. Individual measures are described, cooperative versus individual learning strategies are compared, and future research is suggested. (20 references) (LRW)