e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning

10.6. Supplement Worked Examples with Explanations

So far, we have seen that learning can be significantly improved if you transition from examples to practice through a series of faded worked examples and if you encourage processing of the worked-out steps with self-explanation questions. These techniques free working memory to focus on processing examples in ways that will build new knowledge.

However, when reviewing a worked example, the learners may not really understand the steps shown. Then when required to respond to a self-explanation question, they are likely to get stuck. When you present your worked example, you can accompany the worked-out steps with an explanation of the example. Your explanation would provide the underlying principles ...