A Comparison of Approaches to Learning Task Selection in the Training of Complex Cognitive Skills

This paper presents a comparison of learning task selection approaches that have been used throughout the last three decades in the training of complex cognitive skills. In general, a development from static part-task selection to dynamic whole-task selection can be noticed. The four approaches of static part-task approaches, static whole-task approaches, dynamic part-task approaches, and dynamic whole-task approaches are identified and compared in terms of their flexibility and adaptability to the needs of the individual trainee during training. The comparison shows that dynamic whole-task approaches are the most flexible and adaptive. For each approach it is discussed to what complex cognitive skills they might be useful training methods.