Modeling acquisition of an advanced skill: The case of Morse code copying

To determine characteristics of those who pass, 21 soldiers were tracked through a course in Morse code copying. Passers differed from “attrites” in the form of functions relating reaction times to presentation speed (p < 0.05). We suggest this is due to differing rates of “copying behind” and offer a model in which an initially speeded task converts, at expert level, to one of delayed responding. We then show how the model explains otherwise puzzling data. This success demonstrates the need to understand the information-processing complexities of an advanced skill before an appropriate student model can be created for instructional purposes.

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