On learning styles and novice computer use

Abstract

Learning to use a decision support system involves both formal and informal teaching as well as self-teaching. Many cases have been documented of unsuccesful implementation of DSS or MIS in organisations and identifying successful learning styles for novice DSS users would be of value for systems design and the development of training programs, training aids, documentation, and computer-based "help" systems. This paper describes an experiment performed to relate specific learning style profiles (as assessed by Kalb's Learning Styles Inventory) to aspects of DSS use by novices. Analysis indicated a possible relationship between successful use and one learning style dimension while stronger relationships were found between learning styles and both use of the "help" facility and the frequency of errors. ACM Categories: H.1.2, H.4.2, K.3.0.