Use Courtis Tests, with reasoning differentiated from mechanical computation, as material for transfer experiments¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 theoretical), q1 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The article recommends improving the material of transfer experiments by adopting the Courtis Tests, in which 'the reasoning elements have been differentiated as completely as possible from those purely mechanical, and the computation elements reduced to simplest form.' Separating reasoning from mechanical computation would let a transfer experiment measure reasoning accuracy rather than computation speed.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Experimental material must differentiate reasoning elements from purely mechanical computation and reduce the computation elements to simplest form, as the Courtis Tests do.

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• school children learning arithmetic

Target Learning Goals¶

• accurate reasoning in arithmetic problems
• transfer of accuracy to other situations

Claims¶

• Interest as well as association may partly account for the correlation between accuracy in computation and reasoning [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Locke, L. L. (1913). Inspector Winch's experiments on transfer. https://www.google.com/books/search?q=%22Inspector+Winch%27s+Experiments+on+Transfer%22