Learning to use a word processor: by doing, by thinking, and by knowing

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a study that examines three learning strategies: (1) learning by doing, (2) learning by thinking, and (3) learning by knowing. To be more usable, future application systems and their training support will need to accommodate the real or active learner, rather than what might have been—from the perspective of the system designer and manual writer—the ideal or passive learner. This chapter also outlines some general design proposals along these lines and attempts to theoretically bring work to bear on the analysis of human behavior and experience in realistic situations that is developing in current Cognitive Science. The research discussed in the chapter consists of studies of office personnel learning to use word processing equipment.