Learning from explaining: Does it matter if mom is listening?

Empirical Studies of Patterning

“…There is some very recent empirical evidence indicating that some forms of such brief instruction are better than others. Fyfe, McNeil, and Rittle-Johnson, (2015) found that using abstract terms like "abab" is more helpful to children than concrete terms like "big little big little", and Rittle-Johnson, Saylor, and Swygert (2008) reported that instruction was most helpful if the children explained their reasoning to another person. In two experiments (Rittle-Johnson et al, 2013;Miller et al, 2015), brief instruction had only small effects on the children's performances.…”

Parent–Child Conversations About Animals in Informal Learning Environments

“…A large body of empirical research illustrates the beneficial role of explanation in learning (e.g., Coleman, Brown, & Rivkin, 1997;Legare, 2014;Legare & Lombrozo, 2014;Lombrozo, 2006;Rittle-Johnson, Saylor, & Swygert, 2007), especially within the domain of biological knowledge (e.g., Au et al, 2008;Keil, Levin, Richman, & Gutheil, 1999;Wellman, Hickling, & Schult, 1997). In particular, parent explanations during informal science activities may help children practice formal scientific thinking, develop deeper and more coherent scientific theories, and acquire scientific problem solving skills (Crowley, 2000;Fender & Crowley, 2007).…”

Computer Skill Acquisition: The Effects of Computer-aided Self-explanation on Knowledge Retention and Transfer

“…Recent products like Screencast-O-Matic and Screenr 4 are free web-based screencasting tools by which users can easily record screencasts and download them or share them on Internet sites such as YouTube.com. Proprietary products like Camtasia Studio 5 support more compact, cross-platform file formats suitable for web-based delivery such as Adobe Flash 6 , and have more sophisticated editing features allowing changes in sequence, mouse movement, and audio.…”

“…Selfexplanation is generally accepted as an important, effective, and domain-general means to improve learning. Research has shown evidence that selfexplanation benefits learning in many domains (such as programming, mathematics, reading, electrical engineering, and biology) and in different age range groups, from four-year-olds to adults [2][3] [4][5] [6] [7][8] [9][10] [11]. Although there is a growing body of literature supporting the benefits of self-explanation for learning, it is still unclear to what extent learners can benefit from using computer technologies (e.g., a screenshot application or a screencast application) to help them generate selfexplanations.…”