Abstract
Recent research investigating the effectiveness of computer assisted instructional modules with varying ratios of higher cognitive and factual questions has shown that the ratio of higher cognitive to factual questions in and of itself may not influence student achievement. Whether higher cognitive and factual questions interact with error correction procedures to enhance achievement remains unanswered. In the present investigation, 2 (question type, Le., higher cognitive vs. factual) X 2 (error response, i.e., re-presentation of instruction vs. instructions to try again) X 4 (test, i.e., higher cognitive items included in module, novel higher cognitive items, factual questions included in module, and novel factual items) split plot factorial (two within and one between factor) analyses of variance were used to determine whether question type and/or error response differentially affected subsequent responses to factual and higher cognitive questions. The results indicated that simply allowing a student to try again was superior to re-presenting content for the factual question modules. This finding is discussed with reference to the cognitive demands of the tasks, both anticipated and observed.
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