Actively Guided Practice Enhances Kinesthetic Memory Development

Abstract

In traditional weld training novice students often have their hands guided by their instructor, however due to class ratios this kind of guidance is very limited in traditional training scenarios. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of providing automated movement guidance similar to that which would be provided by a master instructor. The author hypothesized that such a system would in enhancing kinesthetic memory development and by so doing increase student performance. Sixteen welding students participated in this study. These students were trained to weld under different protocols: free-hand (traditional group) and guided (machine group). The tradition group was trained by a certified welding inspector and given physical guidance intermittently. In the machine group, participants were given guidance via a kinesthetic weld trainer (KWT) (designed by the author) that required participants to actively repeat a specific welding angle and speed. The results showed with such guidance, performance and the ability to control the speed with which a weld was made were significantly improved.