Léon Harvey

Transfer of declarative knowledge in complex information-processing domains

Declarative transfer from one domain to another can be observed in a systematic decrease in the time spent reading an instructional text and processing help during problem solving. Two experiments, done in the programming domain, tested the hypothesis that subjects introduced to a first programming language develop a representation of basic programming concepts that helps them integrate new declarative knowledge from a second programming language. This article shows that the effect on reading was greater for pages that were conceptually close across texts and for subjects who had fully mastered the basic concepts in the first language. A regression model of reading showed an effect on processes that are responsible for the analysis of novel words and examples, whereas general strategic reading processes remained unaffected. The increased reading speed was not accompanied by a greater understanding of the text. Effects of a common programming interface and transfer of procedural knowledge appeared to be negligible on the kind of problems considered. This study supports the distinction between procedural and declarative transfer.

Development of text-editing skill: from semantic and syntactic mappings to procedures

The mapping of different semantic and syntactic elements on the acquisition and practice of text-editing skill is used to test predictions from a production system model of skill development. Five text editors that use specific or general procedures that either obey a joint or a disjoint syntax have been designed and tested. Joint syntax and disjoint syntax, respectively, refer to whether defining the operation and the object in a procedure is done in a single or in two different steps. Tests of the editors were carried out using a set of varied tasks presented in two different serial task orders. Results showed that specific procedures are not necessarily faster to use than general ones for simple tasks, but general ones are faster for complex ones. Moreover, specific procedures are more prone to forgetting, as users consulted the help facilities more often. Users of joint editors consulted the help menu less often but for a longer time than users of disjoint editors. They also experienced a greater workload. It is suggested that joint and disjoint editors differ according to the way task parameters must be provided to the procedures. Finally, all measures were sensitive to serial task orders. The production system model of skill development is shown to provide an accurate explanation of group differences and of serial task order effects through strength accumulation, number of executed cycles, and cognitive operators.

Jean-Pierre Astolfi : échos dans les recherches d'aujourd'hui

La didactique des sciences et technologies doit beaucoup aux travaux de Jean-Pierre Astolfi. Entre les annees 1980 et 2000, a la suite de Victor Host, J.-P. Astolfi a impulse les travaux de l’equipe de recherche en didactique des sciences de l’INRP. Il a ainsi initie un important courant de recherches, caracterise a la fois par son exigence epistemologique et son insertion dans la realite de l’enseignement. Ces travaux ont certainement fait figure de modele pour un type de recherches a la fois cliniques, interpretatives et participatives, avec des enseignants associes a toutes les etapes du travail, y compris pour l’elaboration theorique. Dans le cadre general de l’elaboration d’un « modele didactique » d’enseignement-apprentissage en sciences qualifie souvent de « constructiviste », un important corps conceptuel a ainsi emerge, a ete repris et affine au cours des recherches successives. Les thematiques de recherche developpees en portent la marque, notamment : - les obstacles aux apprentissages et leur prise en compte ; - les apprentissages methodologiques en sciences ; - les relations entre langage et apprentissage ; - les competences professionnelles des enseignants. Notre propos dans ce numero est d’essayer de cerner la place que ce courant tient aujourd’hui encore dans les recherches en didactique. Les articles proposes reprennent differents aspects des travaux de J.-P. Astolfi, discutent de leur importance et de leur impact ou en proposent des prolongements dans les recherches actuelles de didactique des sciences et des technologies. Ce dossier rassemble aussi des travaux actuels qui portent un regard distancie sur la place de ce courant et tentent de le situer par rapport a d’autres.