The effects of blocked and massed practice opportunities on learning software applications with video tutorials

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect and use of two practice opportunities (blocked practice vs. massed practice) in the context of complex software training in higher education. The effectiveness of these practice opportunities lies in the contextual interference effect, a motor learning method that is experienced when practising multiple skills within one session. The most fascinating facet of the contextual interference effect is the inverse relationship between performance during training and performance after training. This study employed an experiment to compare the contribution of blocked practice and massed practice on task performance. Additionally, mental effort as an indicator of cognitive load and motivational constructs (self-efficacy, flow, and motivation) was explored for experimental purposes. A cohort of computer science undergraduates with high information communication technology skills (N = 118) participated in this study. Individuals practised three tasks in either a blocked or massed schedule. The results showed an effect of practice arrangement (favouring blocked practice) during training (p <.02), but no effect of practice arrangement after training for this user demographic. Moreover, blocked practice contributed to self-efficacy, flow, and motivation. The paper concludes with a discussion of the findings and recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of video tutorials. © 2021, Beijing Normal University.