Students prefer the lowly scaffolded, strategy-free tutoring system for usability and enjoyment¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Students rated ORCCA as significantly more usable and more enjoyable than StoichTutor. → Borchers 2025

Evidence¶

Borchers 2025¶

Borchers, C., Fleischer, H., Schanze, S., Scheiter, K., & Aleven, V. (2025). High scaffolding of an unfamiliar strategy improves conceptual learning but reduces enjoyment compared to low scaffolding and strategy freedom. Computers & Education, 236, 105364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105364

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Survey data from the crossover study showed students rated ORCCA more usable (M = 3.12) than StoichTutor (M = 2.40), and "students reported liking working with ORCCA more (M = 3.31, SD = 0.99) than StoichTutor (M = 2.17, SD = 1.29)".

"A one-way mixed-effects ANOVA confirmed that this difference was statistically significant, F(1, 58) = 51.51, p < .001. Accordingly, students reported liking working with ORCCA more (M = 3.31, SD = 0.99) than StoichTutor (M = 2.17, SD = 1.29)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Highly scaffolded tutoring with an unfamiliar strategy yields larger conceptual learning gains than lowly scaffolded tutoring with strategy freedom — related
• Procedural learning gains do not significantly differ between the highly and lowly scaffolded tutoring systems — related
• Strategy freedom leads students to skip unit and substance steps, reducing conceptual practice opportunities — related
• Field-tested IDSA prototype received moderate usability ratings: usage enjoyment highest, design and realization lowest — related