Finding formulas: Does active search facilitate appropriate generalization?

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• Adaptive learning requires appropriate generalization and avoiding overgeneralization.
• Generalization involves understanding applicable features and necessary modifications for new contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate if searching for an algebraic formalism before direct instruction improves generalization.
• Examine the impact of pre-instructional search on adaptive learning outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted to compare learning strategies.
• Participants engaged in either a search-first activity or a tell-and-practice activity.
• The effect of sketching as a learning aid was also explored.

Main Results:

• Searching for an equation before instruction reduced overgeneralization compared to tell-and-practice.
• The success of creating new adaptations correlated with performance in the search task.
• Sketching helped mitigate negative effects of tell-and-practice but not enhance searching.

Conclusions:

• Pre-instructional search for algebraic formulas aids in connecting formulas to referents and preventing overgeneralization.
• Standard tell-and-practice led to significant overgeneralization errors.
• Enhanced tell-and-practice with visual connections showed similar or worse results than search-first conditions.