The impact of menus and command-level feedback on learners' acquisition of data base language skills

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine whether providing menus and postactive feedback of command-level syntax can facilitate the acquisition of formal language skills by novice learners. Two groups of students, one of which received training in a menu version of dBASE III Plus and the other of which received instruction in a command version, were asked to complete data base file maintenance and query tasks. Measures comparing the performance of the two groups on a post-test were completion of tasks, number of syntactical errors, and number of semantic errors. According to the results, students learning the command version of dBASE III Plus were able to accomplish more tasks successfully than students using the menu version with postactive feedback of command syntax. In addition, the group using the menu driven made more syntactic errors than the group using the command version. The difference between the number of semantic errors made by members of the two groups was not significant. The researchers made several recommendations for instruction and for further research.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.1 Formal Definitions and Theory
          Subjects: Syntax

  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.3 Languages

          Nouns: dBASE III PLUS

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.6 Methodology and Techniques
          Subjects: Interaction techniques

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.1 Computer Uses in Education
          Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)

General Terms:
Human Factors, Languages, Measurement, Theory