Task analysis

About: Task analysis is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 10432 publications have been published within this topic receiving 283481 citations.

The Effects of Task Complexity and Input Frequency on the Acquisition of the Past Counterfactual Construction Through Recasts

Abstract: This investigation examined two techniques that may help learners focus on second language constructions when recasts are provided during meaning-based communicative activities: altering the cognitive complexity of tasks and manipulating the input frequency distributions of target constructions. We first independently assessed the validity of our cognitive task complexity manipulation by means of expert judgments, dual-task methodology, and eye tracking. Next, in our main study, we employed a pretest-posttest design with two treatment sessions. The participants were 51 adult ESL learners, randomly assigned to one of four comparison groups or a control group. All comparison groups received recasts but differed as to whether they carried out simple tasks with lower reasoning demands or complex tasks with higher reasoning demands, and whether they received skewed or balanced input of the linguistic target, the past counterfactual construction. An oral production test and two written receptive tests were utilized to measure changes in participants’ knowledge. Our results revealed no effects for the input frequency manipulations, but participants achieved higher oral production gains under the simple task condition.

Handbook of Task Analysis Procedures

Abstract: Preface Introduction: How to Use This Book Part I: Overview of Task Analysis Part II: Learning Analysis Techniques Part III: Job/Skill/Behavior Analysis Techniques Part IV: Subject Matter/Content Analysis Techniques Part V: Information Gathering Tools for Task Analysis Techniques Bibliography Index

Distribution of cognitive load in Web search

Abstract: The search task and the system both affect the demand on cognitive resources during information search. In some situations the demands may become too high for a person. This article has a three-fold goal. First, it presents and critiques methods to measure cognitive load. Second, it explores the distribution of load across search task stages. Finally, it seeks to improve our understanding of factors affecting cognitive load levels in information search. To this end, a controlled Web search experiment with 48 participants was conducted. Interaction logs were used to segment search tasks semiautomatically into task stages. Cognitive load was assessed using a new variant of the dual-task method. Average cognitive load was found to vary by search task stages. It was significantly higher during query formulation and user description of a relevant document as compared to examining search results and viewing individual documents. Semantic information shown next to the search results lists in one of the studied interfaces was found to decrease mental demands during query formulation and examination of the search results list. These findings demonstrate that changes in dynamic cognitive load can be detected within search tasks. Dynamic assessment of cognitive load is of core interest to information science because it enriches our understanding of cognitive demands imposed on people engaged in the search process by a task and the interactive information retrieval system employed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.