Learning from Worked-Out Examples: The Effects of Example Variability and Elicited Self-Explanations

It was investigated to what extent example variability and the elicitation of sophisticated self-explanations foster the acquisition of transferable knowledge by learning from worked-out examples. In addition, it was asked whether the effects of these factors are moderated by the learners' levels of prior topic knowledge. To this end, we had 56 apprentices from a bank learn calculation of compound interest and real interest. They were randomly assigned to the four conditions of a 2 x 2-factorial design (factor 1: uniform vs. multiple examples; factor 2: spontaneous vs. elicited self-explanations). The learning results were measured by a post-test comprising near-transfer problems and far-transfer problems. It was found that the acquisition of transferable knowledge can be supported by eliciting self-explanations. In the case of near transfer, especially learners with low levels of prior topic knowledge profited from the elicitation procedure. On the whole, the findings underline the "causal" relevance of the quality of self-explanations for knowledge acquisition by learning from worked-out examples. The assumption that multiple examples foster transfer performance, at least when sophisticated self-explanations are elicited, was not supported. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.