Training Visual Pattern Recognition: Using Worked Examples to Aid SchemaAcquisition

摘要

One challenge faced by those involved in the provision of training is to findmethods of instruction which retain flexibility, and therefore provide efficient transfer of skills and the ability to adapt to similiar situations in the future. A goal of this thesis is to provoke the reader to think about the learner's mental software when faced with a task requiring recognition in a dynamic, cluttered visual domain that demands flexibility. For example, how does a quarterback learn to recognize and react appropriately to so many defensive patterns, even ones that he has not seen before. This paper briefly reviews some of the literature pertaining to vision research which illustrates how quickly one can recognize features in a scene. Next, this paper addresses features of perceptual learning, specifically Treisman's feature integration theory, and also reviews the cognitive literature relevant to training for transfer, flexibility and adaptability and applies it to the domain of visual pattern recognition. Particular attention will be given to the role of models, schema or principles in transfer, as well as the role of examples in facilitating schema acquisition and hence transfer. The current study investigated whether the use of worked examples aids in schema development, which is believed to be one possible explanation for flexibility in novel situations.