Some Examples of Cognitive Task Analysis with Instructional Implications

Analysis of knowledge structures used to understand and solve problems in high school geometry and in primary-grade arithmetic word problems raises questions about relationships between students' learning of computational procedures and their understanding of general types of quantitative relationships.

Abstract

As concepts and methods for the analysis of complex cognitive performance have developed, it has been increasingly attractive to think about their potential use in analyzing tasks that are used in instruction. Most of the features of the model for geometry problem solving have been developed by applying standard concepts in the recent literature on problem solving in psychology and artificial intelligence. The theoretical analysis of geometry problem solving led to the conclusion that three main components of knowledge are required for a student to accomplish successfully the criterion tasks used in the domain. Instructional objectives for primary arithmetic have two aspects: skill and understanding. First, the issue of teaching problem-solving strategies in geometry seems quite clearly applicable in other domains where students are trained in problem solving. The second general issue raised by the analysis is that of teaching students how to represent problem situations.