Initial inductive learning in a complex computer simulated environment: The role of metacognitive skills and intellectual ability

The aim of this study was to examine the role of metacognitive skillfulness and intellectual ability during initial inductive learning with a complex computer simulation. It was hypothesized that adequate learning behavior and performance is initiated by a high quality of metacognitive skillfulness. Theories proposed by Elshout [Elshout, J. J. (1987). Problem solving and education. In E. de Corte, H. Lodewijks, R. Parmetier, & P. Span (Eds.), Learning and instruction (pp. 259-271). Oxford: Pergamon Books Ltd. Leuven: University Press] and Raaheim [Raaheim, K. (1988). Intelligence and task novelty. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.), Advances in the psychology of human intelligence (Vol. 4; pp. 73-97). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum] predict that the impact of intellectual ability on learning performance is at most moderate during initial inductive learning. Students with a low or high intellectual ability were asked to induce rules of optics by conducting experiments with lights and lenses in a computerized Optics Lab. Learning performance was assessed using both qualitative and quantitative measures. Results showed that metacognitive skillfulness was positively related to learning behavior and to scores on the qualitative tests. As predicted by Elshout (1987) and Raaheim [1988; Raaheim, K. (1991). Is the high IQ person really in trouble? Why? In H. A. H. Rowe (Ed.), Intelligence: reconceptualization and measurement (pp. 35-46). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum], the impact of intellectual ability on learning performance was moderate during initial inductive learning. Metacognitive skillfulness and intellectual ability appeared to be unrelated. This study shows that during initial inductive learning with a complex computer simulation learners draw heavily on their metacognitive skillfulness, which results mainly in qualitative knowledge. Consequently, complex computer-simulated learning environments are only appropriate for novice learners with high metacognitive skillfulness.