Background: In this study, we examined the effectiveness of three instruction-production arrangements: instruction-problem solving (I-PS), problem solving-instruction (PS-I), and problem solving-instruction-problem solving (PS-I-PS)) in video tutorials for software training. Literature review: Most of the research on these arrangements stems from math and physics and has yielded equivocal outcomes. Studies of software training are scarce and have also led to varying results. In these studies, video access was prohibited once participants engaged in problem solving. Our study did not have this limitation. Research methodology: We followed an experimental approach with three conditions: I-PS, PS-I, and PS-I-PS. Research questions: 1. What is the effect of condition on video processing? 2. What is the effect of condition on motivation? 3: What is the effect of condition on procedural knowledge development? Results: In all conditions, all videos were viewed nearly in full. Replays of sections were scarce. In all conditions, self-efficacy rose substantially and more in I-PS than in PS-I. All conditions achieved very high scores on a final procedural knowledge test. I-PS did significantly better than PS-I on this test. Conclusion: The high absolute scores for self-efficacy and procedural knowledge presumably reflect the quality of the Demonstration-Based-Training videos developed for the study. Self-efficacy and procedural knowledge development was significantly higher in I-PS than in PS-I. In short, the data show that the best results were obtained for the video tutorial in which instruction preceded problem solving.

This paper opens with a summary of minimalist design strategies that aim to optimize user instructions. Next, it discusses three research efforts to further improve these strategies. The common focus in these efforts is the attention to people's goal-related management and control of attention, time, and effort. First, a comprehensive framework for designing procedures - the four components model - is described. The design principles for the goal component focus on supporting the user's goal orientation and goal setting. Second, two experiments are reported that studied the problem of when it is best to present conceptual information. When instructions employed a learning-by-doing approach, users clearly preferred a work-flow mode of presentation. This mode optimally exploits the user's momentary interest in conceptual information during goal-driven task execution. The third research effort concentrates on user affect in instructions. The main idea is that motivation and emotion play a key role in task appraisals and corresponding actions. After discussing theories and design approaches, an experiment is discussed in which instructions were optimized for affect. Good results for perceived relevance and self-confidence were found in all conditions. Presence of an affect-oriented co-user did not enhance these effects. The paper concludes that the contribution of the efforts extends beyond the minimalist framework from which they originated.

This article examines the genre of visual manuals by discussing the main forms and functions of two types in detail: step-by-step and guided tour manuals. Step-by-step manuals have a one-on-one correspondence between picture and text (explanations and instructions), reflecting the action-reaction mode in which users tend to interact with computers. Guided tour manuals give users a visual impression of the program. The pictures, mostly full-screen captures, are annotated with several paragraphs of text. An experiment is reported in which we examined whether a visual manual helps users realize tasks faster and more accurately than a non-visual manual. No effects on accuracy were found, but the visual manual did increase the speed of task execution with a significant and substantial gain of 35 percent. The conclusion draws attention to the fact that there is no single best type of visual manual, but that each has its own strengths and weaknesses.