Active vs Passive Training for Educational Software

Computer-based instructional interventions are increasingly popular in classroom curricula. For students to benefit from these interventions, it is vital that they are properly trained to use the software. We investigate the effects of using active versus passive training techniques to familiarize users with a graphical programming environment, Alice. We examine the impact using measures of knowledge, user preferences and motivation. Participants in both training environments gained domain knowledge and interface familiarity, but passive training participants believed that Alice was easier to use, spent more time using Alice when given the choice, and demonstrated better preparation for future learning.