Backward fading and principle prompts supported transfer in probability learning¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r? · q3 · n=78 (Experiment 1)
Currency · newest study 2003 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In Experiment 1, backward fading versus example–problem pairs and principle-identification prompts versus no prompts each improved near- and far-transfer performance; no interaction was detected. This does not establish a special combined synergy.

Evidence¶

Atkinson, Renkl & Merrill 2003¶

Atkinson, R. K., Renkl, A., & Merrill, M. M. (2003). Transitioning from studying examples to solving problems: Effects of self-explanation prompts and fading worked-out steps. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(4), 774–783. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.95.4.774

q3 · peer-reviewed experiment · i? · no standardized effect recorded on this page · n=78 (Experiment 1) · causal · r?

Transitioning From Studying Examples to Solving Problems: Effects of Self-Explanation Prompts and Fading Worked-Out Steps. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(4), 774–783. Full paper, Experiments 1–2, pp. 775–781.

Experiment 1 randomized 78 university students in a 2×2 design. Tasks taught probability principles. Backward fading omitted later solution steps progressively; prompts asked learners to identify principles. Near/far transfer were study-defined probability tasks, not unrestricted real-world transfer. Experiment 2 compared prompting versus no prompting within fading, rather than repeating all four cells. Full paper checked for these contrasts; no adaptive learner-specific fading threshold or delayed safety outcome is established.

Related Claims¶

• Prompting learners to self-explain improves understanding and problem solving on immediate tests by a moderate average amount, with little evidence yet on delayed or classroom gains. — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• Fading support promotes the transfer of responsibility from instructor to learner. — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• Four-arm novice circuit contrast

• The position of faded worked solution steps did not influence learning outcomes in Experiment 1 — related
• Successively fading out worked solution steps is effective for facilitating the transition from learning from worked examples to problem solving, compared to example-problem pairs — a broader claim this one bears on
• Adding a self-explanation feature to a base game improved transfer performance — related
• Learners learned most about those principles that were faded — related
• Learning journal writing improves learning outcomes, but learners often do not apply sufficient strategies without support; prompts, worked examples and fading are the supports studied — related
• Learning from examples depends on the explaining mode: prompting principle-based self-explanations and guided comparison of examples improves transfer — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)