Predictable Generalization in Academic Learning as a Result of Preskills and Strategy Training

The effects of Preskills and Strategy Training were assessed on acquisition of basic multiplication and division skills. In Experiment 1, four boys were first taught preskills for a set of multiplication facts. Preskills alone did not enable children to perform multiplication tasks correctly. When subjects were taught a strategy for using the preskills, they were able to solve problems for which they received the Strategy Training; correct performance generalized to problems for which the preskills but not the strategy had been taught. A multiple-baseline (across subjects) design showed that these effects were reliable. Following Strategy Training each child was given partial Preskill Training for those multiplication facts for which neither Preskills nor Strategy Training had been provided. The children used the preskills to solve the problems correctly. Experiment 2 replicated and extended the findings of Experiment 1 to division and provided a more fine-grained analysis of Strategy Training effects. A novel multiple-baseline design (across subjects) was used in which Strategy Training was introduced successively to three children within a single instructional session lasting 110 minutes, with probes (multiplication and division facts) administered about every nine minutes providing the dependent variables. None of the children completed the division problems correctly during baseline probes. However, they all acquired division skills when taught a strategy. The results of both experiments demonstrate the importance of Preskills Training and the effectiveness of Strategy Training. The results of Experiment 1 showed that generalization across tasks can be predicted when preskills and a strategy are provided; the results of Experiment 2 showed that rapid acquisition of related learning can be obtained by teaching a related strategy.