Effects of feedback delay on learning

Abstract

Understanding barriers to organizational learning is central to understanding fi rm performance. We investigate the role of time delays between taking an action and observing the results in impeding learning. These delays, ubiquitous in real-world settings, are relevant to tradeoffs between long term and short term. We build four learning heuristics, with different levels of complexity and rationality, and analyze their performance in a simple resource allocation task. All reliably converge to the optimal solution when there are no/short delays, and when those delays are correctly assessed. However, learning is slowed signifi cantly when decision makers err in assessing the length of the delay. In many cases, the decision maker never fi nds the optimal solution, wandering in the action space or converging to a suboptimal allocation. Results are robust to the organization's level of rationality. The proposed heuristics can be applied to a range of problems for modeling learning from experience in the presence of delays.

Dynamic Decision Making

“…In other words, a subject's internal model of the system does not match the true model. In particular, human performers seem to have great difficulty discerning the influence of delayed feedback and understanding the effects of nonlinear terms in the system (Rahmandad et al, 2009). Essentially, subjects solve the problem as if it was a linear system that has only zero lag terms.…”

Considering student retention as a complex system: a possible way forward for enhancing student retention

“…In particular, the time delay between implementation of action and feedback from the system is probably the most important constraint to learning about complex systems (Sterman, 1994;Rahmandad, Repenning, & Sterman, 2009). This applies especially to the system of student retention, where the effect of implementing institutional action that enhances student retention has a time delay of months, or even years.…”

“…This applies especially to the system of student retention, where the effect of implementing institutional action that enhances student retention has a time delay of months, or even years. Even when assuming neither distortion nor error in the feedback from the system (Rahmandad, Repenning, & Sterman, 2009), after the times required for effects to be observed, it is possible -and likely -that many elements of the system, such the particular students and lecturers will have changed.…”

“…In addition Rahmandad, Repenning, & Sterman (2009), Sterman (1994, and Davis & Sumara (2006) state that to learn about such complex systems and their dynamics, it is critical to initiate, or simulate action in such a system and collect the feedback from this system.…”

Development of analytical abilities and collaborative learning assessment in undergraduate students through simulation games

“…In spite of the extended use of business simulation games [3], current research shows that students do not acquire the ability of recognizing and analyzing nonlinear causal relationships (what are main causes of the problem) and the ability to estimate and analyze the impact of time delays (why do they get that results) [4][5][6][7].…”