CAI (Computer-Assisted Instruction) Course on Constructing PLANIT Lessons: Development, Content, and Evaluation

摘要

The Army's current emphasis on providing ET-capability (Embedded Training) in its tactical data systems has produced a requirement for the development of an Army in-house capability to produce its own courseware; to update and modify contractor developed automated instruction materials and to provide a quality assurance capability for user assessment of contractor delivered TACFIRE ET modules. The research approach taken here was to develop a courseware package on how to program lessons for an automated system. Since PLANIT (Programming Language for Interactive Teaching) is the student/author language for providing ET modules for Army tactical data systems, such as TACFIRE, PLANIT was chosen as both the course and the vehicle of instruction. The research effort had two phases: to develop a courseware package to teach subject matter experts, who are novices with respect to computer-assisted instruction (CAI), how to program PLANIT lessons, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the package for select Army users. The resultant courseware package was found to be successful in teaching people who are subject matter experts, but who are CAI novices, to program lessons over a diverse set of topics and to execute and edit their lessons on-line. The majority (93%) of the participants strongly indorsed this method for learning how to develop instructional materials.