Worked examples, cognitive aptitudes and the self-explanation mechanism - A replication.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• Self-explaining is an engagement activity using instructional scaffolds like worked examples.
• Self-explanation quality is hypothesized to mediate the impact of worked examples on learning.
• Previous research on this mediation has yielded inconclusive results due to methodological limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate a prior investigation on whether self-explanation quality mediates the worked example effect.
• To examine cognitive aptitudes (prior knowledge, working memory capacity, fluid intelligence, shifting ability) as moderators.
• To investigate the worked examples-problem solving paradigm.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of self-explanations from 115 university students solving statistics problems.
• Students used worked examples or solved problems independently.
• Self-explanation quality was coded based on the use of case information to justify statistical claims.

Main Results:

• Moderated mediation of the worked example effect by self-explanation quality was found for prior knowledge and working memory capacity (WMC).
• Stronger indirect effects were observed at lower levels of prior knowledge and WMC.
• Shifting ability moderated the worked example effect directly, with greater benefits for lower-ability students.

Conclusions:

• This replication provides evidence for self-explanation quality mediating the worked example effect, contrary to a previous study.
• The mediation is not universal, contingent on learners' cognitive resources.
• Worked examples benefit learners either directly or through self-explanation, depending on individual cognitive capacities.