Promoting lasting learning by combining spacing with worked examples

在实验室用简单的学习材料(如单词列表)进行测试时，将学习阶段分散在多个课程中，而不是只在一个课程中学习，在保持方面产生了强大的效果。然而，事实证明，在涉及与课程相关的连贯学习材料的真实教育背景下，这种效果不那么强劲。对这种不那么有力的影响的一种解释是，学习者对学习内容的有限而肤浅的阐述。本项目的目的是调查在实际教育背景下的间隔效应是否可以通过与样例相结合而受益(反之亦然)。样例是一种强大的学习工具，涉及一个问题、单个解决步骤和问题解决方案。研究工作中的例子(结合自我解释)可能会刺激更深层次、更详细的过程。然而，工作范例对留存的长期影响还鲜为人知。因此，在本项目中，我们在学校数学学习领域的三个实验框架下，考察了练习任务的间隔是否能提高学生在与样例结合时的持久记忆--而不是简单的问题解决任务。样本将包括学习半书面乘法技能的四年级学生和学习随机数的十一年级学生。我们预计，当这两个原则结合起来时，间距和工作示例的主要效应以及乘性交互效应都会出现。此外，我们考察了学习者在错误的样例中发现错误是否比呈现已经被标记为正确或不正确的样例对持久学习的影响更大。探索性地，我们还考察了学习者的先验知识、他们的一般数学成绩以及动机方面对这些影响的影响。

Spacing the learning phases across multiple sessions instead of learning in only one session yields robust effects on retention when tested in the laboratory with simple learning material (e.g., word lists). However, the effect turned out to be less robust in real educational contexts involving coherent learning material, relevant for the curriculum. One explanation for this less robust effect is the limited, superficial elaboration of the learning content by the learners. The present project aims at investigating whether the spacing effect in real educational contexts can benefit from being combined with worked examples (and vice versa). Worked examples are a potent learning tool, involving a problem, the single solution steps, and the problem solution. Working through worked examples (combined with self-explanations) may stimulate a deeper, more elaborated processing. However, the long-term effects of worked examples on retention are hardly known yet. In the current project, we therefore investigate in the frame of three experiments within the field of mathematics learning in school whether the spacing of practice tasks yields enhances students’ lasting retention when being combined with worked examples—instead of simple problem solving tasks. The samples will comprise fourth Graders acquiring semi-written multiplication skills and eleventh Graders learning stochastics. We expect main effects of both spacing and worked examples and a multiplicative interaction effect when the two principles are combined. Moreover, we examine whether detecting errors in incorrect worked examples by the learners has a larger effect for lasting learning than being presented with worked examples that are already marked as correct or incorrect. Exploratorily, we additionally examine the impact of learners’ prior knowledge, their general mathematical achievement, and motivational aspects for the effects.