Learning by observation and learning by doing in Down and Williams syndromes

Abstract

New skills may be learned by active experience (experiential learning or learning by doing) or by observation of others’ experience (learning by observation). In general, learning by observation reduces the time and the attempts needed to learn complex actions and behaviors. The present research aimed to compare learning by observation and learning by doing in two clinical populations with different etiology of intellectual disability (ID), as individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and individuals with Williams syndrome (WS), with the hypothesis that specific profiles of learning may be found in each syndrome. To this end, we used a mixture of new and existing data to compare the performances of 24 individuals with DS, 24 individuals with WS and 24 typically developing children on computerized tasks of learning by observation or learning by doing. The main result was that the two groups with ID exhibited distinct patterns of learning by observation. Thus, individuals with DS were impaired in reproducing the previously observed visuo‐motor sequence, while they were as efficient as TD children in the experiential learning task. On the other hand, individuals with WS benefited from the observational training while they were severely impaired in detecting the visuo‐motor sequence in the experiential learning task (when presented first). The present findings reinforce the syndrome‐specific hypothesis and the view of ID as a variety of conditions in which some cognitive functions are more disrupted than others because of the differences in genetic profile and brain morphology and functionality. These findings have important implications for clinicians, who should take into account the genetic etiology of ID in developing learning programs for treatment and education.

Procedural Learning through Action Observation: Preliminary Evidence from Virtual Gardening Activity in Intellectual Disability

“…Interestingly, the authors found that different genetic profile, brain morphology, and functionality entailed specific profiles of learning in the different ID syndromes. In contrast to subjects with Down syndrome, who benefited from learning by doing, individuals with Williams syndrome benefited from observational training, while they were severely impaired in learning by doing [53].…”

“…Previous studies have investigated the impact of action observation (AO) on learning procedural skills in ID subjects with genetic etiology [52][53][54]. Interestingly, the authors found that different genetic profile, brain morphology, and functionality entailed specific profiles of learning in the different ID syndromes.…”

Augmented feedback for manual wheelchair propulsion technique training in a virtual reality simulator

“…For these reasons, findings from this study may not translate directly to a clinical population of wheelchair users. However, individuals with physical as well as cognitive disabilities also learn skilled movements through motor learning principles [ 64 – 66 ]. Further studies may examine the effects of propulsion training with VR and AF about propulsion biomechanics on clinical populations such as those who have recently suffered traumatic spinal cord injury.…”

Augmented Feedback for Manual Wheelchair Propulsion Technique Training in a Virtual Reality Simulator

“…For these reasons, ndings from this study may not translate directly to a clinical population of wheelchair users. However, individuals with physical as well as cognitive disabilities also learn skilled movements through motor learning principles [64][65][66]. Further studies may examine the effects of propulsion training with VR and AF about propulsion biomechanics on clinical populations such as those who have recently suffered traumatic SCI.…”