Effect of Interface Dynamism on Learning Procedural Motor Skills

The effectiveness of dynamic versus static visualizations in computer-based training (CBT) systems has generated a lot of research effort with divergent findings. The work reported in this paper examines a novel paradigm that learning a procedural motor skill may be enhanced by instructional visualizations that optimizes the construction of mental task models. We investigated the interaction of different interface visualizations of a CBT system with the cognitive characteristics of trainees by comparing three conditions of interface dynamism in a mechanical motor skills learning task. Ninety-one participants across three treatment groups performed a disassembly motor task. After controlling for effects of spatial visualization abilities, participants who used training interfaces with dynamic information content completed the post-learning motor task faster and more accurately than those who used interfaces with a static visual content. These findings suggest that instructional interfaces having motor coordinating information, which is intrinsic to the execution of procedural motor tasks, are more suitable for CBT of novice trainees. It may also imply the possibility of a common approach to the design and implementation of CBT systems, which is independent of learner's cognitive abilities.