Lab-based versus textbook-based instruction produced no significant difference in novices' quiz learning over the experiment's timecourse¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Instruction group (lab vs. textbook) showed no significant main effect or interaction with timepoint on quiz performance. → Cetron 2026

Evidence¶

Cetron 2026¶

Cetron, J.S., Hillis, M.E., Diamond, S.G., May, V.V. & Kraemer, D.J.M. (2026). Neural patterns reflect conceptual grasp of novice students following first class learning in physics. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00394-3

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Results from the mixed-effects polynomial regression on quiz scores for the two randomly assigned instruction groups (25 lab, 25 textbook). Table 2 prints a main effect estimate of 0.04 (p = 0.10) and group-by-timepoint interaction p values of 0.64 and 0.23; no effect size is printed, so none is asserted.

"There was no significant effect of instruction group (lab vs. textbook) on quiz performance, neither in the form of an interaction with the timepoint effect nor in the form of a main effect of instruction group (Table 2, Figure 2)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Lab and textbook instruction groups did not differ significantly on the free-body diagram near-transfer task performed during fMRI — related
• Novice quiz performance rises after a one-hour static mechanics lesson and then declines over subsequent weeks, following a quadratic learning curve — related
• Text complexity (basic vs. comprehensive textbook) shows no significant effect on comprehension — related
• No significant interactions emerged between text medium and any other variable (test time, complexity, engagement) — related
• Across all questions, final performance showed a main effect of learning condition and a large main effect of question type, with only a trend toward an interaction — related