Optimal task design determined in laboratory studies may depend on learners' level of effort-by-allocation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? It may remain unclear whether optimal effort-by-complexity and task design from laboratory studies generalize, because authentic-context studies scarcely investigate the moderating role of effort-by-allocation; e.g., the worked example effect might not fully evolve if learners are not motivated to study the examples. → Axel Grund 2024

Evidence¶

Axel Grund 2024¶

Axel Grund, Stefan Fries, Matthias Nückles, Alexander Renkl, Julian Roelle. (2024). When is Learning “Effortful”? Scrutinizing the Concept of Mental Effort in Cognitively Oriented Research from a Motivational Perspective. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09852-7

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

Conceptual analysis in the review's methodological-implications section: authentic-setting studies rarely test whether optimal task design depends on effort-by-allocation, and the authors hypothesize that "the worked example effect might not fully evolve if the learners are not motivated to carefully study the examples." Theoretical argument, no effect size.

"the worked example effect might not fully evolve if the learners are not motivated to carefully study the examples"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Whether strategy instruction works better in authentic content-area tasks is untested, and the one meta-analytic comparison recorded found larger gains in strategic ability in language-arts than in content-area classes — related
• Goal setting improves performance — related
• Cognitive Load Management — related
• Situational motivation is highly context-dependent and fluctuates within and between learners, but most studies rely on self-reports — related