Application of Cognitive Theory to the Design, Development, and Implementation of a Computer-Based Troubleshooting Tutor.

A study found that the troubleshooting abilities of a treatment group of college students trained conventionally in a course called Aircraft Systems II and on a computer-based "Technical Troubleshooting Tutor" were better in some ways than those of a control group who trained conventionally without using the computer-based tutor. Aviation students at the University of Illinois participated in the study, 16 in the control group and 18 in the treatment group. Each student was given an aircraft simulator board in which four independent electrical faults were inserted, common troubleshooting tools, and the task of locating the faults. No significant differences were found in the ability of the two groups to recognize that faults existed. However, the treatment group was significantly better at actually locating and identifying the faults. The control group solved fewer than half the attempted problems, whereas the treatment group solved 72 percent. The two groups' performances on a posttest about electrical systems and their ability to identify potential faults were not significantly different. However, the treatment group was significantly better able to evaluate the faults correctly, was more likely to evaluate the systems before selecting a troubleshooting strategy, was not dependent upon a single strategy to facilitate the process, tended to make fewer misinterpretation errors, and had a stronger ability to recover from errors. (Contains 49 references.) (CML)