A quantitative experiment setup for testing the effect of desirable difficulties on teaching robotics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2021.1077Keywords:
Desirable difficulty; Human subject experiment; Problem solvingAbstract
Desirable difficulties such as generating one’s own solution instead of replicating a provided solution is associated with improved long-term memory. Disseminating misleading information has shown improved learning in science education over consuming concise and clear learning instructions. We describe an experimental setup aimed at quantifying if a tutorial about programming a mobile autonomous robot that requires having to correct misleading instructions leads to better problem-solving capabilities than providing correct and clear tutorial instructions when asked to solve a complicated open-ended robotics task. The presented experimental setup is aimed towards a controlled comparative human-subject study that compares the effect of desirable difficulties on participant’s performance in solving a complicated open-ended task after completing an introductory tutorial. We explain the experiment timeline, the tasks of the tutorial, as well as the open-ended task including the robot and how this experiment can be executed under very controlled, repeatable and as unbiased as possible conditions. We share and qualitatively discuss some observed problems in this setup from early trials with 8 participants.
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