Clarifying the “A” in CAI for Learners of Different Abilities

The study investigated the degree to which students of different abilities acquired strategic planning knowledge from an intellectual computer game. The relationships among ability and student performance in instruction were examined. Students learned a computer problem solving game under two forms of instruction. Performance was monitored interactively. Results showed more successful students 1) acquired strategic planning knowledge by induction from examples and 2) also performed better on the transfer tasks. Ability differences were found. Considerations for further investigation of the relationships among learner characteristics and instructional variations in computer learning are discussed. Implications for the use of cognitively engaging software in educational settings also are addressed.