This study examined the relationships between student learning styles, variations in feedback assessment strategies, and student performance in a high school typing class. Student performance was measured with respect to both accuracy and speed.
Literature related to the problem examined is reviewed in this chapter. The findings of the literature review are pre sented in two major discussions, the first of which considers learning styles, while the second deals with performance evalu ation (which, in a typing class, involves primarily the mea surement of accuracy and speed on timed type writing tests), and feedback assessment.
Learning is the process by which an individual is able to change his or her behavior in some constructive manner (Skin ner, 1953). The teaching of typing involves the development of behavioral changes, which, in turn, facilitate the development of typing skills. The three basic theories of learning are (1) trial and error, (2) conditioned response, and (3) insight.
In the trial and error approach to learning the first of the three basic theories of learning, the individual learns by attempting different solutions to a problem until he or she discovers which one of the alternatives work best. The role of the teacher in this approach is to give the student some direc tion by leading her or him towards certain techniques which may assist in developing a problem solution. The trial and error approach to learning is not widely applied in formal typing instruction, although the approach is widely used by indivi duals attempting to acquire typing skills through other than formal instruction.
The concept underlying the conditioned response approach to learning the second of the three basic theories of learning is learning through habit formation (Skinner, 1953). One major difficulty with the conditioned response approach is that it is virtually impossible to pre create a condition and a resp...