Use self-generation for simple, low element interactivity content, especially when longer-term retention is the goal¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article's educational implications recommend that "for simple content with low element interactivity, including more complex information processed by more expert learners, requiring students to self-generate may be superior to studying explicitly provided answers, especially for longer-term retention". Implementable as having students generate answers or formulae from cues rather than re-reading presented material, as the generation groups did in this study. It also recommends that, contrary to claims about explicit instruction, demonstrating worked examples on complex materials to novices "may have a durable, longer-term, positive effect".

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Materials must genuinely be low in element interactivity for the learners concerned, either intrinsically or because of their expertise.

Constraints¶

• The generation effect was not obtained on the immediate test for Year 10 novices, so the benefit may emerge only on delayed tests for novices.

Target Learners¶

• Secondary school students learning curriculum-based content

Target Learning Goals¶

• Retention of formulae and other low element interactivity curriculum content over delay

Affordances¶

• Element Interactivity As Complexity Measure Clt

Claims¶

• On the delayed test, guidance interacted with element interactivity: generation was superior for low element interactivity material, with no significant difference for high element interactivity material [+W]
• On the delayed test, a significant three-way interaction showed a worked example effect for high element interactivity material and a generation effect for low element interactivity material for novices [+W]
• For more knowledgeable learners on the delayed test, a generation effect was obtained for both low and high element interactivity materials [+W]
• A literature survey suggests the generation effect is more likely to be demonstrated on delayed than immediate tests [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Relations Between the Worked Example and Generation Effects on Immediate and Delayed Tests. (2016). Submitted 29/01/2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.06.007