Dependent measure moderates discovery effects: acquisition scores amplify the explicit-instruction advantage, and reaction-time measures reverse the enhanced-discovery advantage¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesisr2·q3·i1small
Currency · newest study 2011 · checked against its sources 2026-10-15 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i1 In the unassisted meta-analysis, acquisition scores (d = -0.95) yielded larger explicit-instruction advantages than post-tests or time to solution; in the enhanced meta-analysis, reaction-time measures (d = -0.72) favored comparison conditions, opposite to post-tests (d = 0.28). → Alfieri 2011
Evidence¶
Alfieri 2011¶
Alfieri, L., Brooks, P. J., Aldrich, N. J., & Tenenbaum, H. R. (2011). Does Discovery-Based Instruction Enhance Learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021017
q3 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r2
Dependent-measure moderator analysis in the enhanced-discovery meta-analysis, Q(4) = 64.60, p < .001. Post-test (d = 0.28), acquisition (d = 0.54), and self-rating (d = 1.25) measures favored enhanced discovery, whereas reaction-time measures (d = -0.72) favored comparison conditions, as the quote shows.
"the mean effect size derived from reaction time measures was significantly different (i.e., significantly opposite in effect size direction) from both the mean effect size derived from acquisition scores, Q(1) = 10.19, p = .001, and the mean effect size derived from post-tests, Q(1) = 31.61, p < .001."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- The advantage of explicit instruction over unassisted discovery is largest in the verbal/social skills domain — related
- Age moderates discovery-learning effects: the explicit-instruction advantage over unassisted discovery is larger for adolescents than adults, and the enhanced-discovery benefit larger for adults than children — related
- Unassisted discovery produces less learning than explicit instruction, while discovery enhanced with guidance outperforms other instruction — a broader claim this one bears on
- Enhanced discovery learning produces greater learning than other forms of instruction — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
dependent-measure-moderates-discovery-effects |
title |
Dependent measure moderates discovery effects: acquisition scores amplify the explicit-instruction advantage, and reaction-time measures reverse the enhanced-discovery advantage |
description |
Dependent measure moderates discovery effects: acquisition scores amplify the explicit-instruction advantage, and reaction-time measures reverse the enhanced-discovery advantage |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2011 |
source_checked |
2026-10-15 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-13 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — alfieri-2011 |
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