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Title: Learning to Pull the Thread: Application of Guided Discovery Principles to the Inquiry Process

Abstract

Investigation of direct causes is a fundamental component of inquiry and analysis tasks that require skilled observations, logical thinking, and a persistent search for a complete understanding of the events. The need to cultivate such skills and persistence is a major challenge for diverse disciplines from accident investigation to forensics to intelligence analysis. In this context, persistence means to keep pulling the threads of evidence until a sufficient understanding of cause-effect relationships has emerged. The training challenge is rooted in fundamental questions about performance measurement and instruction: Can we effectively instill the required skills and persistence by merely informing learners through traditional classroom instruction? Or would such cognitive skills and persistence be better developed and refined through carefully crafted experience-based training? In instructional systems design terminology, this question may be phrased as a choice between receptive/directive instructional architectures that focus on ASK and TELL approaches versus approaches that emphasize SHOW and DO. The latter, more interactive instructional approaches emphasize active learning and performance assessment. We suggest that active, performance-based paradigms such as scenario-based and guided-discovery learning approaches may provide more effective solutions. By immersing the learner in appropriate interactive scenarios, we can ascertain through actual performance the extent to whichmore » the learner demonstrates the objective knowledge or skills. We have previously reported on an application of guided-discovery principles to develop Web-based awareness training for security inquiry officials. The purpose of this paper is to report on subsequent research that employs guided-discovery scenarios to enhance the learner's evidential reasoning process through practice in following threads to identify direct causes. Implications for inquiry/analysis and cognitive skills training are discussed.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
881701
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-45524
GD0508040; TRN: US200613%%14
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) Nov.28-Dec.1, 2005, 11 pages
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS; DATA ANALYSIS; TRAINING; EDUCATION; PERFORMANCE

Citation Formats

Greitzer, Frank L, Rice, Douglas M, Eaton, Sharon L, and Perkins, Michael C. Learning to Pull the Thread: Application of Guided Discovery Principles to the Inquiry Process. United States: N. p., 2005. Web.
Greitzer, Frank L, Rice, Douglas M, Eaton, Sharon L, & Perkins, Michael C. Learning to Pull the Thread: Application of Guided Discovery Principles to the Inquiry Process. United States.
Greitzer, Frank L, Rice, Douglas M, Eaton, Sharon L, and Perkins, Michael C. 2005. "Learning to Pull the Thread: Application of Guided Discovery Principles to the Inquiry Process". United States.
@article{osti_881701,
title = {Learning to Pull the Thread: Application of Guided Discovery Principles to the Inquiry Process},
author = {Greitzer, Frank L and Rice, Douglas M and Eaton, Sharon L and Perkins, Michael C},
abstractNote = {Investigation of direct causes is a fundamental component of inquiry and analysis tasks that require skilled observations, logical thinking, and a persistent search for a complete understanding of the events. The need to cultivate such skills and persistence is a major challenge for diverse disciplines from accident investigation to forensics to intelligence analysis. In this context, persistence means to keep pulling the threads of evidence until a sufficient understanding of cause-effect relationships has emerged. The training challenge is rooted in fundamental questions about performance measurement and instruction: Can we effectively instill the required skills and persistence by merely informing learners through traditional classroom instruction? Or would such cognitive skills and persistence be better developed and refined through carefully crafted experience-based training? In instructional systems design terminology, this question may be phrased as a choice between receptive/directive instructional architectures that focus on ASK and TELL approaches versus approaches that emphasize SHOW and DO. The latter, more interactive instructional approaches emphasize active learning and performance assessment. We suggest that active, performance-based paradigms such as scenario-based and guided-discovery learning approaches may provide more effective solutions. By immersing the learner in appropriate interactive scenarios, we can ascertain through actual performance the extent to which the learner demonstrates the objective knowledge or skills. We have previously reported on an application of guided-discovery principles to develop Web-based awareness training for security inquiry officials. The purpose of this paper is to report on subsequent research that employs guided-discovery scenarios to enhance the learner's evidential reasoning process through practice in following threads to identify direct causes. Implications for inquiry/analysis and cognitive skills training are discussed.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881701}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Nov 28 00:00:00 EST 2005},
month = {Mon Nov 28 00:00:00 EST 2005}
}

Conference:
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