Feedback on error does not impact the association weight of contiguously active context traces Roy B. Clariana, Assistant Professor The Pennsylvania State University RClariana@psu.edu Full paper available at: http://www.personal.psu.edu/rbc4/6thICCNS.doc

Introduction Previously, we successfully applied the delta rule to human subjects data to predict the effects of immediate corrective feedback on error on posttest performance (reported at ICCNS in 2000). This poster extends those findings by considering whether the effects of feedback are specific to the to-be-learned (TBR) content, or else, does feedback impact all contiguously activated traces?

Method Graduate students (N = 35) completed a computer-based vocabulary lesson that used either constructed response or else multiple-choice study tasks with immediate feedback on error. Different screen background colors were provided with each lesson item as the contiguous extra-item variable. Each posttest item measured memory of the correct vocabulary term (the TBR content) and also of the lesson color associated with that term (the contiguous extra-item trace).

Results 1 Posttest memory of TBR vocabulary content was equivalent for multiple-choice and constructed response lesson requirements, and gain from lesson to posttest was consistent with the delta rule (i.e., most difficult items received the largest increase).

Results 2 Posttest memory of the lesson color scheme was significantly greater for the multiple-choice lesson treatment compared to the constructed response lesson treatment (t-test probability = 0.02).

Results 3 Amount of lesson feedback on error had no relationship to posttest memory for color (r = 0.13, ns). Immediate feedback on error had a specific effect only on the to be remembered content, but no effect on other contiguously activated extra-item traces (lesson color scheme).

Posttest memory of content and color as a function of the amount of lesson feedback received TBR vocabulary Color memory Constructed response lesson Multiple-choice lesson

Summary With instructional feedback: Posttest memory of to-be-remembered vocabulary follows the delta rule. Lesson color scheme was better remembered under multiple-choice lesson requirements, and was not remembered at all for constructed response lesson requirements Posttest memory of the lesson color scheme was unrelated to the amount of lesson feedback suggesting that the delta rule does not apply to extra-item context.