Consider alternatives to self-explanation — instructional explanations, sequenced problem solving, retrieval practice — given its time demands¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

Because generating self-explanations takes considerable time and is not a widely reported study strategy, the article recommends considering alternative activities that achieve the same outcomes more efficiently. It notes that "practice testing can promote better comprehension over a long delay than self-explanation" and that providing instructional explanations "can sometimes be more efficient and as effective as prompted self-explanation."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Learner-generated explanations should be of reasonable quality; training or structuring responses can improve quality where needed

Constraints¶

• Whether self-explanation is more consistently beneficial than instructional explanations when responses are structured and time is comparable remains an open question the article flags

Target Learners¶

• students and self-directed learners managing study time

Target Learning Goals¶

• comprehension
• transfer
• long-term retention

Affordances¶

• Four Constraints Self Explanation Effectiveness Framework

Claims¶

• Self-explanation beats unguided studying for equal time, but instructional explanations, problem solving and retrieval practice can be equally or more effective [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Clear Structure
• Design self-explanation prompts aligned to target outcomes, favoring explanations of correct content
• Worked Examples First
• Worked Example Fading

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Bethany Rittle-Johnson & Abbey M. Loehr. (2017). Eliciting explanations: Constraints on when self-explanation aids learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 24, 1501–1510. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-016-1079-5