Learning and retention with a menu and a command line interface

Abstract

Within the context of a computer-based tutoring system, 36 participants initially learned sequences of commands to satisfy common file, directory, and process manipulations with UNIX 1 UNIX is a trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. 1 . Each of three task objectives required correctly entering four lines of command sequences with one of three different interface conditions. Learning occurred with a menu interface (recognition), a command line interface (recall), and a combination menu-command line interface (recognition-plus-recall). The criterion of task mastery was three successive help-free and error-free iterations through an interface condition. After a four-week interval with no interface exposure, the task was repeated. The results showed that performance on both menu and command line interfaces, as evidenced by requests for help, error frequency, and trials to task mastery, required relearning after the period of disuse. The command line interface was generally associated with higher levels of performance than the menu interface, especially during retention testing. The components of the combined interface interacted, but transfer of learning between them was incomplete.