Designing instructional examples to reduce intrinsic cognitive load: Molar versus modular presentation of solution procedures

Instructional Science

Volumn 32, Issue 1-2, 2004, Pages 33-58

  Gerjets, Peter ^a   Scheiter, Katharina ^b   Catrambone, Richard ^c  

^a KNOWLEDGE MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER   (Germany)

^b UNIVERSITY OF TÜBINGEN   (Germany)

^c GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY   (United States)

Author keywords

Cognitive load; Cognitive skill acquisition; Example design; Schema acquisition; Worked examples

Indexed keywords

EID: 3843146186     PISSN: 00204277     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1023/b:truc.0000021809.10236.71     Document Type: Conference Paper

References (37)

1. Atkinson, R.K., Catrambone, R. & Merrill, M.M. (2003) Aiding transfer in statistics: Examining the use of conceptually oriented equations and elaborations during subgoal learning, Journal of Educational Psychology 95(4): 762-773.
2. Atkinson, R.K., Derry, S.J., Renkl, A. & Wortham, D.W. (2000) Learning from examples: Instructional principles from the worked examples research, Review of Educational Research 70(2): 181-214.
3. Catrambone, R. (1994) Improving examples to improve transfer to novel problems, Memory and Cognition 22(5): 606-615.
4. Catrambone, R. (1998) The subgoal learning model: Creating better examples to improve transfer to novel problems, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 127(4): 355-376.
5. Catrambone, R. & Holyoak, K.J. (1989) Overcoming contextual limitations on problem-solving transfer, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 15(6): 1147-1156.
6. Chi, M.T.H., Bassok, M., Lewis, M., Reimann, P. & Glaser, R. (1989) Self-explanations: How students study and use examples in learning to solve problems, Cognitive Science 13(2): 145-182.
7. Chi, M.T.H., de Leeuw, N., Chiu, M.-H. & LaVancher, C. (1994) Eliciting self-explanations improves understanding, Cognitive Science 18(3): 439-477.
8. Cummins, D.D. (1992) Role of analogical reasoning in the induction of problem categories, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 18(5): 1103-1124.
9. Derry, S.J. (1989) Strategy and expertise in solving word problems. In: C.B. McCormick, G. Miller & M. Pressley (eds), Cognitive Strategy Research: From Basic Research to Educational Applications, pp. 269-302. New York: Springer.
10. Gagné, R.M. (1962) The acquisition of knowledge, Psychological Review 69(4): 355-365.
11. Gerjets, P. & Scheiter, K. (2003) Goal configurations and processing strategies as moderators between instructional design and cognitive load: Evidence from hypertext-based instruction, Educational Psychologist 38(1): 33-41.
12. Gerjets, P., Scheiter, K. & Catrambone, R. (in press) Reducing cognitive load and fostering cognitive skill acquisition: Benefits of category-avoiding examples. In: R. Alterman & D. Kirsh (eds), Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
13. Gerjets, P., Scheiter, K. & Kleinbeck, S. (in press) Instructional examples in hypertext-based learning and problem solving: Comparing transformational and derivational approaches to example design. In: H.M. Niegemann, R. Brünken & D. Leutner (eds), Instructional Design for Multimedia Learning. Muenster: Waxmann.
14. Gerjets, P., Scheiter, K. & Tack, W.H. (2000) Resource-adaptive selection of strategies in learning from worked-out examples. In: L.R. Gleitman & A.K. Joshi (eds), Proceedings from the 22nd Annual Conference from the Cognitive Science Society, pp. 166-171. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
15. Gick, M.L. & Holyoak, K.J. (1983) Schema induction and analogical transfer, Cognitive Psychology 15(1): 1-38.
16. Hart, S.G. & Staveland, L.E. (1988) Development of NASA-TLX (Task Load Index): Results of experimental and theoretical research. In: P.A. Hancock & N. Meshkati (eds), Human Mental Workload, pp. 139-183. Amsterdam: North Holland.
17. Mayer, R.E. (1981) Frequency norms and structural analysis of algebra story problems into families, categories, and templates, Instructional Science 10: 135-175.
18. Paas, F.G.W.C. & Van Merriënboer, J.J.G. (1994) Variability of worked examples and transfer of geometrical problem solving skills: A cognitive load approach, Journal of Educational Psychology 86(1): 122-133.
19. Pirolli, P. & Recker, M. (1994) Learning strategies and transfer in the domain of programming, Cognition and Instruction 12(3): 235-275.
20. Quilici, J.L. & Mayer, R.E. (1996) Role of examples in how students learn to categorize statistics word problems, Journal of Educational Psychology 88(1): 144-161.
21. Reed, S.K. (1993) A schema-based theory of transfer. In: D.K. Detterman & R.J. Sternberg (eds), Transfer on Trial: Intelligence, Cognition, and Instruction, pp. 39-67. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
22. Reed, S.K. (1999) Word Problems. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
23. Reed, S.K., Dempster, A. & Ettinger, M. (1985) Usefulness of analogous solutions for solving algebra word problems, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 11(1): 106-125.
24. Renkl, A. (1997) Learning from worked-out examples: A study on individual differences, Cognitive Science 21(1): 1-29.
25. Renkl, A. (1999) Learning mathematics from worked-out examples: Analyzing and fostering self-explanations, European Journal of Psychology of Education 14(4): 477-488.
26. Renkl, A. (2002) Learning from worked-out examples: Instructional explanations supplement self-explanations, Learning and Instruction 12(5): 529-556.
27. Renkl, A. & Atkinson, R.K. (2003) Structuring the transition from example study to problem solving in cognitive skills acquisition: A cognitive load perspective, Educational Psychologist 38(1): 15-22.
28. Ross, B.H. (1989) Distinguishing types of superficial similarities: Different effects on the access and use of earlier problems, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 15(3): 456-468.
29. Schuh, J., Gerjets, P. & Scheiter, K. (2003) Supporting learning from worked-out examples in computer-based learning environments. In: F. Schmalhofer, R. Young & G. Katz (eds), Proceedings of the European Cognitive Science Conference 2003, pp. 301-306. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
30. Sowder, L. (1985) Cognitive psychology and mathematical problem solving: A discussion of Mayer's paper. In: E.A. Silver (ed), Teaching and Learning Mathematical Problem Solving: Multiple Research Perspectives, pp. 139-146. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
31. Sweller, J. (1994) Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design, Learning and Instruction 4(4): 295-312.
32. Sweller, J. & Cooper, G. (1985) The use of worked examples as a substitute for problem solving in learning algebra, Cognition and Instruction 2(1): 59-89.
33. Sweller, J., Van Merriënboer, J.J.G. & Paas, F.W.C. (1998) Cognitive architecture and instructional design, Educational Psychology Review 10(3): 251-296.
34. VanLehn, K. (1989) Problem solving and cognitive skill acquisition. In: M.I. Posner (ed), Foundations of Cognitive Science, pp. 527-579. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
35. VanLehn, K. (1996) Cognitive skill acquisition, Annual Review of Psychology 47: 513-539.
36. Van Merriënboer, J.J.G., Kirschner, P.A. & Kester, L. (2003) Taking the load of a learner's mind: Instructional design for complex learning, Educational Psychologist 38(1): 5-13.
37. Van Merriënboer, J.J.G. (1990) Strategies for programming instruction in high school: Program completion vs. program generation, Journal of Educational Computing Research 6(3): 265-287.