14 - Worked Example Principle #3 - Include Instructional Explanations of Worked Examples in Some Situations

Brief Definition

Clark and Mayer (2011) draw upon research when they suggest that adding further explanation to worked examples may benefit learning in some cases. These situations include a) when content that is geared more toward grasping the concepts than gaining problem-solving expertise, b) when students are relying only on the explanation with no “self-explanation” questions, and c) when the content is mathematics.

An Artifact

CoolMath4Kids has great tutorials on elementary math concepts such as the one featured here, Division: Standard Algorithm. The teacher doesn’t just work division problems. She does a great job working multiple example problems and explaining why various responses work or don’t work in the equation. See the image below for an example of the Worked Example Principle #3.

References

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.