Gary Cziko (930905.0825) et al:
Gary, to me your proposed music/tracking experiment has two big
virtues: 1. It is close to the usual PCT methodological paradigm,
which could serve to facilitate understanding and communication
between PCTers about the interaction of teacher/student control
systems. 2. It uses an efficient means of post-response
information, PRI, (instructional feedback) which is a precise
representation of the learner's performance-which representation
the learner would not have without the PRI. This would be
particularly true if the position of the cursor generated by the
teacher were a quantitative reflection of the degree of error in
performance, not just the direction of the error.
I am glad that you have pointed out that the function of PRI is to
provide a means for feedback which the learner would not have on
his/her own.
I agree with your basic idea: one of the major functions of a master teacher is
the providing of PRI (feedback) for the trainee.
I have found that the usual shortcoming is that the PRI, if
adminsistered at all, is generated based simply on the teacher's
perception of the trainee's response rather than on inferences about
the trainee's perception and control. Thus PRI is seldom precisely
related to the perceptions needed for the task. And an even bigger
challenge is that in typical instructional situations trainees control
other perceptions that are inefficiently related to the task at hand
(such as getting done with the boring task, getting a good grade, or
figuring out a short-cut means to appear correct). The most
efficient PRI appears to be that which calls attention to these
levels of control as well to the perceptions for the "target learning".
It may be that the pairing of perceptions or substitute perceptions,
such as getting a good grade, etc. are a help for passing tests, such
as with the medical people (mentioned by Hugh), but that in actual
application the desired control does not manifest. Thus, we have
students in America who learn to control grades or getting
assignments finished, but do not make the transfer to the
instructionally desired control. I believe this may be one of the
reasons that 50% of Americans are functionally illiterate.
Tom Hancock <HANCOCK%HRLOT1.decnet@HSDP3.BROOKS.AF.MIL>
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona
602-589-2745
fax: 602-589-2447