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

10.4. Transition from Worked Examples to Problems via Fading

Although worked examples are proven to be the most effective path during the initial stages of learning, as learners gain more expertise, worked examples can actually impede learning. This phenomenon is an example of the expertise reversal effect. The reason for expertise reversal is that novices benefit from the cognitive load relief of studying an example rather than working a problem as the basis for initial learning. However, once the new knowledge is stored in memory, studying a worked example adds no value. In fact, the worked example may conflict with the learner's unique approach to completing the task. At that point, learners need to practice in order to automate their new ...