The effects of understanding rules and a worked example on the acquisition of procedural knowledge and task performance

Previous research (for example, Bonner and Walker, 1994) has investigated the impact of alternative forms of instruction and practice on both the acquisition of procedural knowledge and task performance. Responding to the call to consider alternative forms of instruction, this study reports the results of an experiment designed to distinguish between the effects of understanding rules and a worked example. Worked examples (such as previously prepared working papers, analysis sheets and spreadsheet templates) are of particular interest as they constitute an important source, frequently used by novice accountants, for understanding and performing various tasks.
The results indicate that understanding rules increase task performance through the acquisition of procedural knowledge, while a worked example provides task-specific heuristics that increase task performance but not procedural knowledge. The different benefits of the two forms of instruction emphasise the importance of matching instruction methods to learning objectives. Furthermore, combining the two forms of instruction lead to the highest levels of task performance even with limited practice and no feedback.
JEL classification: I20; M41     

不良资产剥离后不良贷款缘何居高不下

处理银行不良资产已成为建立稳定经济金融体系的当务之急，我国通过成立金融资产管理公司处理不良资产，对化解银行风险具有重要意义，但部分银行出现了不良资产前剥后增的现象，造成这种现象的原因是多方面的，因此，化解银行不良贷款的政策也应综合考虑。     

Cross-country differences in attitudes to business associations during the 2007–2010 recession

This paper uses empirical data gathered through an on-line survey of 206 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), conducted in France, Sweden and the UK. The paper examines cross-country differences in SME managers’ perceptions of business associations as sources of political intelligence and their ability to influence policy responses to financial crises. Findings demonstrate that the respondents’ countries of origin are significantly correlated with (1) their use of information sources to gather political intelligence, (2) their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of business associations in influencing policy outcomes, and (3) their perceptions regarding policymakers’ appreciation of information provided by SME associations.