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Integrated learning: explicit strategies and their role in problem-solving instruction for students with learning
1County of Lethbridge Public Schools.
Exceptional Children
|March 1, 1993
Summary
Explicit strategy instruction significantly improved problem-solving skills for secondary students with learning disabilities in new health topics. This learning strategy enhanced their ability to link facts and concepts to practical application.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Special Education
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Students with learning disabilities often struggle to connect factual knowledge with problem-solving in novel contexts.
- Effective instructional strategies are crucial for bridging the gap between learning concepts and applying them.
- Computer-simulated learning environments offer engaging platforms for skill development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of an explicit strategy in enhancing the problem-solving abilities of secondary students with learning disabilities.
- To determine if explicit strategy instruction improves the transfer of learned health facts and concepts to unfamiliar problem-solving tasks.
- To compare the impact of explicit strategy instruction versus guided discovery on learning and application.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-seven secondary students with learning disabilities participated in the study.
- All participants learned health facts and concepts, applying them through computer-simulation games.
- The experimental group received explicit strategy instruction, while the comparison group received supportive feedback and encouragement for self-discovery.
Main Results:
- The experimental group, taught an explicit strategy, demonstrated significantly superior performance on transfer measures.
- Performance was assessed through problem-solving exercises, including videotaped scenarios.
- Students explicitly taught a strategy showed better application of learned health information.
Conclusions:
- Explicit strategy instruction is an effective method for improving problem-solving and knowledge transfer in students with learning disabilities.
- This approach facilitates the linkage of factual knowledge and conceptual understanding to practical application in new domains.
- Targeted strategy instruction can significantly enhance learning outcomes for students facing learning challenges.