Strategic approach to computer literacy

Despite experience, many users do not progress from a basic use of computer applications to a more efficient use. To address this problem, we designed a strategic approach to training which focused on teaching efficient strategies in addition to commands. A controlled experiment which compared this approach to traditional command-based instruction revealed that some strategies indeed require explicit training before they are learned. However, others are automatically acquired just by learning commands, and yet others may require more practice than we anticipated. These results have direct implications to instructional design. Because the strategic approach took the same time to teach as the traditional approach but did not harm learning of commands, it offers a promising alternative to command-based instruction.