Novices and experts differ in problem representation: novices segment the problem and use surface analogies, while experts apply general underlying principles¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 1989 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Novices tended to produce separate explanations for each phenomenon and searched for analogies based on surface characteristics, whereas experts postulated a not-directly-observable process and recognized the problem as an instance of a general principle. → Schmidt 1989

Evidence¶

Schmidt 1989¶

Schmidt, H. G., De Volder, M. L., De Grave, W. S., Moust, J. H. C., & Patel, V. L. (1989). Explanatory Models in the Processing of Science Text: The Role of Prior Knowledge Activation Through Small-Group Discussion. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(4), 610-619. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-0663.81.4.610

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Transcription analysis of Experiment 2 discussions found only one novice group eventually related the different phenomena, while experts explained them "by one or two underlying principles"; the authors note this accords with Chi, Feltovich, and Glaser (1981) on cue dependence.

"novices dealt with the blood cell problem mainly by segmentation; that is, they showed a tendency to come up with separate explanations for each of the phenomena described."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Prior Knowledge — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• While discussing a problem, learners actively construct situation-specific explanatory models from prior knowledge rather than merely reproducing what they know — related
• The report attributes to expert-novice comparisons that experts relate symptoms to inoperative system functions while novices focus on physically proximal components — related
• Experts categorise problems by solution principles while novices categorise by surface features — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Experts work forwards from givens while novices work backwards via means-ends analysis — related