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Training Procedures
The training materials that accompany the Think-and-Link system are grounded
in the latest literature on instructional principles for users with memory and
learning problems. The materials take a ground up approach without making any
assumptions about the user's prior experience or knowledge, and use the same
technology and visual paradigms as the functional system. Research has shown
that if a trainer faithfully follows this training protocol, even users with
severe cognitive impairments can learn to use the email program.
Theoretical Foundations
Guided by established
instructional methodologies
, the project has developed
the following general model for training:
- Review/Assessment - The user is asked to perform the task trained in the
previous session. If the user is unstable at the review task, then the trainer
will revert to the previous lesson. Otherwise, the trainer will move on to a
new skill.
- Model - The trainer demonstrates the task several times while giving a
cognitive model for the user.
- Practice - The user performs the task. At first, the trainer takes an
active role in reinforcing the cognitive model with the user. As the user shows
increasing mastery, the trainer fades prompting for the cognitive description
and allows the user to habituate the action of the task.
- Spaced Retreival - When the user has shown initial success with the task,
the trainer will supply an intervening task to review previous skills. Then,
the trainer will return the user to the current task. Depending on the user's
ability to reaquire the task, the trainer may go back to the modeling stage,
reinforce the exposed cognitive model or just allow the user more habituating
trials.
Instructional Sequence
Since Think-and-link users come from a variety of educational backgrounds, and
experience a variety of learning and retention difficulties, the instructional
sequence cannot make assumptions about the user's prior knowledge or facility at
aquiring new procedures. Therefore, the training protocol requires that all
users begin with the basics of mouse movement and screen attentiveness. For
some users, these tasks are easily mastered, while others may have to spend
significant effort. However, the protocol has been painstakingly scutinized to
maintain seperability and severability of task domains. The
entire sequence
procedes by chaining at the simplest possible level only those tasks which have
been explicitly mastered.
Instructional Materials
The Training Manual provides a thorough discussion of the best
instructional practices, and along with the accompanying video, provides
the trainer with
specific advice
about how to make the training interaction as
effective as possible. For each training task, the manual provides specific,
easy-to-follow instructions
that guide the trainer through the activity, along
with a goal attainment checklist to objectivize learning assessment.
Each task consists of a series of steps for the user to perform on the
Training Interface. While it is based in the same technology as the
functional interface, the training interface assists the trainer and user by
ignoring off-task gestures. Thus for any given lesson, the system only
reinforces the specific learning sequence.
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