Using Case Comparison to Support the Development of Instructional Design Problem-Solving Strategies

Abstract

A popular instructional approach for developing problem-solving abilities is case-based instruction (CBI). One limitation of CBI is that problem solvers, especially novices, often fail to recall relevant cases from memory when needed. Analogical encoding is a promising approach to CBI for overcoming this limitation. Analogical encoding is the comparison of multiple cases through which learners come to understand the principle or strategy common to both. This study investigated the effectiveness of CBI with analogical encoding for the teaching of instructional design (ID) strategies.

Participants, 62 graduate and undergraduate education students, were assigned to one of three treatment groups. The first group read a case demonstrating an ID strategy. The second group read a different case demonstrating the same strategy. The third group read both cases and was asked to compare them. All participants were then asked to describe the ID strategy demonstrated in the case(s) and to describe an instructional solution to a problem similar to those found in the two cases. Responses were scored by external judges. Participants' levels of ID experience and ID self-efficacy were measured to examine the impact of these factors on the effectiveness of this instructional technique. A subset of the participants were interviewed to explore what other factors might explain their performance.

Analysis revealed no significant differences among the participants in each of the treatment groups and that neither ID experience nor self-efficacy explained variance in participant performance. Review of the findings, interviews, and the literature suggest the following possible explanations for these results: 1) effective ID strategies for solving ill-structured problems may be different from those for highly-structured problems; 2) effective CBI with analogical encoding may require coupling the use of cases with direct instruction; and 3) effective CBI with analogical encoding may require encouraging learners to surface and reflect on their preconceptions.