TRANSFER OF LEARNING UNDER TWO CONDITIONS OF INSTRUCTION: PROGRAMMED AND GUIDED DISCOVERY

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A comparison was made between programmed and guided discovery learning to test for transfer effects. Eighty female subjects, age range 24 to 71, were given specially prepared courses of instruction which were followed by a transfer task involving the reading of punched paper tapes. The results showed that transfer was effected equally well by both methods of instruction, but the guided discovery method conferred benefits in terms of speed of working on the transfer task when an analysis was made across the total scores for time to completion. It was suggested that transfer needs to be considered in terms of conceptual and perceptual transfer in tasks which involve a change of stimulus material. Evidence was provided to show that programmed learning can be successfully employed with a wide age range of subjects to teach a concept which is later utilised under new stimulus conditions.