Expert-Performance Approach to the Study of the Development of Understanding during Complex Learning

The question of "what is better understanding during complex learning" has intrigued researchers in different fields of psychology and education for decades. However, it has been difficult to study and monitor the development of understanding during complex learning. The current study was designed to demonstrate how the expert-performance approach as a technique for studying superior performance can be applied to the study of the development of understanding during complex learning. Particularly, the current study attempted to study the development of understanding in the 8-puzzle by the design of representative 8-puzzle tasks in conjunction with the collection of various cognitive process including process-tracing data (i.e. think-aloud reports). The results supports that asking participants to generate best 5-move sequences for the representative 8-puzzle situations allowed us to capture changes in understanding of the 8-puzzle and whether it conforms to a particular type of method specifically instructed during learning. It also allowed us to trace and capture changes in mediating cognitive processes and to directly associate them with the essence of changes in understanding of the 8-puzzle. The current study successfully demonstrates the expert-performance approach can provide a useful framework for studying the development of understanding during complex learning, specially, regarding concern for the reactivity of methodology.