Students who generated their own solutions or observed the full process did not significantly outperform students who only viewed the outcomes of failed solution attempts on conceptual knowledge¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i0 Contrary to Hypothesis 2, the contrast comparing PF and VF-process against VF-outcome on conceptual knowledge was not significant (ηp 2 = 0.01, below d = 0.2 equivalent). → Christian Hartmann 2021

Evidence¶

Christian Hartmann 2021¶

Christian Hartmann, Tamara van Gog, Nikol Rummel. (2021). Preparatory effects of problem solving versus studying examples prior to instruction. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-020-09528-z

q3 · i0 · causal · r2

In the same ANCOVA on conceptual knowledge with covariates, the second a priori contrast testing whether PF and VF-process together outperformed VF-outcome was non-significant: "the contrast showed no significant differences, F(1, 166) = 1.42, p = 0.235". Equivalence was not tested.

"contrary to our expectation, the contrast showed no significant differences, F(1, 166) = 1.42, p = 0.235, ηp 2 = 0.01"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• PF students reported more awareness of knowledge gaps than example observers, but awareness of knowledge gaps did not correlate with conceptual knowledge acquisition — related
• Prior knowledge moderated the VF-process advantage over PF: the benefit of observing the process grew with prior knowledge, while prior knowledge did not affect post-test performance in the PF condition — related
• Observing the complete problem-solving-and-failing process (VF-process) was more effective for conceptual knowledge acquisition than generating one's own failed solutions (PF) prior to instruction — reports the opposite
• PF students did not outperform DI students when learning social science research methods in two quasi-experimental studies with 10th graders, failing to replicate the STEM-domain PF effect — related
• Vicarious failure with high solution diversity is as effective as engaging in Productive Failure oneself for conceptual knowledge acquisition — related
• Productive Failure Improves Conceptual Learning — a broader claim this one bears on
• Contrasting cases without explicit guidance on their use showed no significant effect on conceptual understanding or solution-attempt quality — related
• Students observing high-diversity vicarious failure (VF-high) significantly outperform students in VF-low and DI conditions on conceptual knowledge — related