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<p>Recent research asserts that the mnemonic benefits gained from retrieval-based learning
vanish for complex materials. Subsequently, it is recommended that students study
worked examples when learning about complex, problem-centered tasks. The
experiments that have evaluated the effectiveness of studying worked examples tend to
overlook the mental processing that students engage in when completing retrieval-based
learning activities. In contrast, theories of transfer-appropriate processing emphasize the
importance of compatibility between the cognitive processing required by the test and the
cognitive processing that is activated during learning. For learners to achieve optimal test
performance, according to transfer-appropriate processing, they need to study in such a
way that they are engaging in the same mental processing that will be required of them
when tested. This idea was used to generate testable predictions that compete against the
claim that the retrieval practice effect disappears for complex materials, and these
competing predictions were evaluated in three experiments that required students to learn
about the Poisson probability distribution.
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<p>In Experiment 1, students learned the general procedure for how to solve these
problems by either repeatedly recalling the procedural steps or by simply studying them.
The retrieval practice condition produced better memory for the procedure on an
immediate test compared to the study only condition. In Experiment 2, students engaged
in the same learning activities as Experiment 1, but the test focused on their problem-
solving ability. Students who practiced retrieval of the procedural steps experienced no
benefit on the problem-solving test compared to the study only condition. In Experiment
3, students learned to solve Poisson probability problems by studying four worked
examples, by studying one worked example and solving three practice problems, or by
studying one worked example and solving three practice problems with feedback. Students were tested on their problem-solving ability one week later. The problem-
solving learning activities outperformed the worked example condition on the final
problem-solving test. Taken together, the results demonstrate a pronounced retrieval
practice effect but only when the retrieval-based learning activities necessitated the same
mental processing that was required during the final assessment, providing support for
the transfer-appropriate processing account.</p></div></div></div>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/8968667 |
| Date | 15 August 2019 |
| Creators | Garrett M O'Day (6996329) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/Improving_Problem_Solving_with_Retrieval-Based_Learning/8968667 |
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