Cognitive Task Analysis

Cognitive Task Analysis Richard E.Clark, David F. Feldon, Jeroen J. G. van Merriënboer, Kenneth Yates and Sean Early October 14, 2006 (Final Draft) “Cognitive Task Analysis is the extension of traditional task analysis techniques to yield information about the knowledge, thought processes and goal structures that underlie observable task performance. [It captures information about both…] ... overt observable behavior and the covert cognitive functions behind it [to] form an integrated whole.” (p. 3, Chipman, Schraagen, & Shalin, 2000) Cognitive task analysis (CTA) uses a variety of interview and observation strategies to capture a description of the knowledge that experts use to perform complex tasks. Complex tasks are defined as those where performance requires the integrated use of both controlled (conscious, conceptual) and automated (unconscious, procedural or strategic) knowledge to perform tasks that often extend over many hours or days (see van Merriënboer, Clark, & de Croock, 2002). CTA is often only one of the strategies used to describe the knowledge required for performance. It is a valuable approach when advanced experts are available who reliably achieve a desired performance standard on a target task and the goal is to capture the “cognitive” knowledge used by them (Clark & Estes, 1999). Analysts use CTA to capture accurate and complete descriptions of cognitive processes and decisions. The outcome is most often a description of the performance objectives, equipment, conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge and performance standards used by experts as they perform a task. The descriptions are formatted so that they can be used as records of task performance and/or to inform novices in a way that helps them achieve the performance goal(s) in any context. CTA is most often performed before (or as an integral part of) the design of instruction, work, job aids and/or tests. The descriptions are then used to develop expert systems, tests to certify job