The role of interface style in planning during problem solving

It is argued that support from an interface during problem solv-ing can make interaction easier. Interfaces often display rele-vant information, making recall unnecessary and relieving working memory, called externalization. However, externaliz-ing information might not necessarily instigate planning, under-standing and knowledge acquisition from the user. In previous studies, the effects of externalizing information in an interface not always converged. We describe an experiment investigating the influences of (1) inducement to plan and (2) externalizing information on problem solving. Contrary to others ’ findings, no advantages of externalization were found. Instead, NOT ex-ternalizing (requiring internalization) yielded advantages and facilitated planning from the user