Instructional approach interacts with prior knowledge for lasting learning, with benefits concentrated among stronger students¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · theoretical r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Interleaving improved spelling for students with high and average prior knowledge but not for those with low prior knowledge. → Katharina Scheiter 2026 q2 i? Relationships between prior knowledge and correctness of solution steps were stronger in the worked examples condition than in the practice problems condition. → Katharina Scheiter 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Katharina Scheiter 2026¶

Katharina Scheiter, Alexander Renkl. (2026). On the challenges of investigating lasting learning: A commentary. Learning and Instruction 105 (2026) 102417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2026.102417

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

The commentary reports simple-slope analyses from a classroom spelling study showing an aptitude-treatment interaction: interleaving helped "students with high and average levels of prior knowledge ... but not for those with low prior knowledge". No effect size is printed in this passage.

"Klimovich and Richter (2025) demonstrate through simple-slope analyses that interleaving improves spelling skills for students with high and average levels of prior knowledge (i.e., students who had committed few or an average numbers of errors already at pretest), but not for those with low prior knowledge."

Katharina Scheiter 2026 (2)¶

Katharina Scheiter, Alexander Renkl. (2026). On the challenges of investigating lasting learning: A commentary. Learning and Instruction 105 (2026) 102417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2026.102417

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

The commentary reports an interaction between instructional approach and prior knowledge in a study comparing worked examples with practice problems; simple main effects at different prior-knowledge levels were not reported. No effect size is printed in this passage.

"Ruitenburg et al. (2025) report that relationships between prior knowledge and correctness of solution steps were stronger for students in the worked examples condition than in the condition with practice problems."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Interleaved practice yields lasting learning effects at delayed posttests in spelling and second-language grammar — related
• In the few studies that split by ability, learning techniques helped low-ability students and not high-ability students — reports the opposite
• Learners with high prior knowledge benefit more from segmenting in retention performance than learners with no or low prior knowledge — related
• In replication analyses, the variety conditions were particularly beneficial for students with low prior GPAs, while the same-type-only conditions had negligible effect sizes — related