Impact du mode d’organisation de la tâche en résolution de problèmes sur la réussite et l’apprentissage. Résolution de problèmes et apprentissage

Abstract

This research studies the impact of the instructional design in problems solving. Across several studies, Sweller (1988, 2003, 2004) develop the Cognitive Load Theory. In this theory, the interrelationships between instructional variable, problem solving and learning are supported. But, these researches are concentrated on the aspect of problem itself. Others studies, in instructional design, wonder about the organization of a complete task (Paas et al., 2003). It seems of these researches that the mode of organization of a task influences the success of the task and more widely the quality of the knowledge, which can be elaborated during the realization of this task. The objective of our work is to bring to light all the importance of the design in a task with several problems. For that purpose, we compared a design based on a hierarchical organization of the difficulty of the problems (from the easiest to the most difficult) and a random presentation of the same problems. We present here three experiments using logical problems stemming from the minesweeper game. The results of the first experiment suggest that an organized mode of presentation compensates for the increase of the difficulty and facilitates a better success of the problems. The second experiment uses the same protocol, as the first one to which are added new problems as well as one paradigm of double task. The results show that the orderly mode of presentation also facilitates the elaboration of transferable knowledge with new problems. However, the distances from performances do not seem to be attributable in the cognitive load of the task. The third experiment brings more qualitative data, which come to support the first results. The verbalization of rules elaborated during the signing shows prevalence of the organized design. The subjective evaluation of the supplied mental effort confirms the insensitivity of the cognitive load in the mode of presentation of the task. So, the impact of the mode of presentation does not seem to ensue from a too important cognitive load during a random presentation but a lot of interest of an organized design.