Written identification of errors to learn professional procedures in VET

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that the use of worked-out examples to present errors has great potential for procedural knowledge acquirement. Nevertheless, the identification of errors alone does not directly enhance a deep learning process if it is not adequately scaffolded by written self-explanations. We hypothesised that in learning a professional procedure in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) domain, written identification and analysis of errors on a faulty procedure fosters better learning outcomes than a non-written identification and even a written identification on a correct procedure. This was tested using a 2 × 2 factorial design that contrasted written vs. non-written self-explanations and correct vs. incorrect video-recorded worked-out examples. Although the use of faulty video-recorded worked-out examples did not show a clear and undisputed effect, the study validated the use of the writing process to acquire procedural knowledge. The results opened the field to future applications of this instructional method in VET.