Subgoal Labeled Worked Examples Improve K-12 Teacher Performance in Computer Programming Training

Technology has become integrated into many facets of our lives. Due to the rapid onset of this integration, many current K-12 teachers do not have the skills required to supply the sudden demand for technical training. This deficit, in turn, has created a demand for professional development programs that allow working teachers to learn computer science so that they might become qualified to teach this increasingly important field. Subgoal labeled worked examples have been found to improve the performance of learners in highly procedural domains. The present study tested subgoal labeled worked examples in an online learning program for teachers. Teachers who received the subgoal labels solved novel problems more accurately than teachers who received the same worked examples without the subgoal labels. These findings have implications for the use of subgoal labels in professional development, other types of lifelong learning, and online learning.