Mechanisms that facilitate the effectiveness of elaboration strategies.

Abstract

The authors examined the role of distinctiveness in the differential memory performance of visual and verbal elaboration strategies. Twenty-eight undergraduates learned information about familiar and unfamiliar animals while using either the visual (imagery) or verbal (answering why questions) elaboration strategies. There was no difference between the 2 strategies in level of organization for the familiar animal material, but imagery students organized unfamiliar animal information into intact sets more than verbal elaboration students. Imagery easily permits the generation of relations and distinctions for unfamiliar material through the creation of unique mental images. In contrast, learners using verbal elaboration may be more likely to access general rather than specific information when answering why questions for unfamiliar information.

Relevance and Goal-Focusing in Text Processing

“…A second implication is that relevance increases learning at multiple levels of complexity, including deeper processing as measured by causal reasoning (Lehman & Schraw, 2002), memory for facts (Di Vesta & Di Cintio, 1997;Goetz et al, 1983;Kaakinen et al, 2002Kaakinen et al, , 2003Lapan & Reynolds, 1994;Linderholm & van den Broek, 2002;Lorch et al, 1987b;McCrudden et al, 2005;Pichert & Anderson, 1977;Reynolds, 1992;Reynolds & Anderson, 1982;Reynolds et al, 1979Reynolds et al, , 1993Rothkopf & Billington, 1979;Schraw & Dennison, 1994;Schraw et al, 1993;Seifert, 1993Seifert, , 1994van den Broek, Lorch, et al, 2001;van den Broek, Tzeng, et al, 2001;Willoughby et al, 1994Willoughby et al, , 1997Wood et al, 1990), and accuracy of inferences and situation models (Ozgungor & Guthrie, 2004), and affects inferential activities, such as explanatory and predictive inferences and paraphrasing (Linderholm & van den Broek, 2002;Narvaez et al, 1999;van den Broek et al, 2001). Helping students become more skilled at conferring the relevance of information within a text and activating relevant information from memory should enable students to construct richer conceptual understandings of the text (Graesser et al, 1994;Kintsch, 1998;Zwaan & Radvansky, 1998).…”

“…Examples of specific relevance instructions include reading to answer pre-reading questions or objectives (Duchastel & Brown, 1974;Duell, 1974;Frase & Kreitzberg, 1975;Gagne & Rothkopf, 1975;Kaplan, 1974;Kaplan & Rothkopf, 1974;McCrudden et al, 2005;Peeck, 1970;Reynolds, Trathen, Sawyer, & Shepard, 1993;Rothkopf & Billington, 1975a,b, 1979Rothkopf & Kaplan, 1972, 1978, use of inserted questions (Lapan & Reynolds, 1994;Lorch, Lorch, Gretter, & Horn, 1987a;Reynolds, 1992;Reynolds & Anderson, 1982;Reynolds, Standiford, & Anderson, 1979;Rickards & Di Vesta, 1974;Rothkopf & Billington, 1974;Shavelson, Berliner, Ravitch, & Loeding, 1974;Swenson & Kulhavy, 1974;van den Broek, Tzeng, Risden, Trabasso, & Basche, 2001), and answering explanatory "why" questions (van den Broek et al, 2001;Ozgungor & Guthrie, 2004;Seifert, 1993Seifert, , 1994Willoughby, Wood, Desmarais, Sims, & Kalra, 1997;Willoughby, Wood, & Khan, 1994). Pre-reading questions or objectives are examined prior to reading whereas inserted questions are interspersed throughout a text.…”

Learning the Lessons of Leadership: Case Method Teaching with Interactive, Computer-Based Tools and Film-Based Cases

“…Students also are encouraged to relate personal experiences to the situations encountered by different characters in the scenarios. These sorts of questions draw on the instructional concepts of elaborative interrogation (e.g., Martin & Pressley, 1991;Pressley, McDaniel, Tumure, Wood, & Ahmad, 1987;Willoughby, Wood, Desmarais, Sims, & Kalra, 1997) and self-explanations (e.g., Chi & vanLehn, 1991). By reflecting on, analyzing, and discussing answers to these questions, students are better able to learn from their peers and integrate socially constructed knowledge with their personal experience and knowledge.…”

Army Excellence in Leadership (AXL): A Multimedia Approach to Building Tacit Knowledge and Cultural Reasoning

“…The combination of personal experience and reflection helps to capture the leader's attention, as well as help the leader to integrate new information with past knowledge (Moreno, 2006). Open-ended questions in AXL also are closely linked to the pedagogical concepts of elaborative interrogation (e.g., Martin & Pressley, 1991;Pressley, McDaniel, Turnure, Wood, & Ahmad, 1987;Willoughby, Wood, Desmarais, Sims, & Kalra, 1997) and self-explanations (e.g., Chi & VanLehn, 1991;Mayer et al, 2003). During an AXL module, leaders are provided with multiple discussion questions that prompt them to examine the relationships among different elements in the scenario, reflect on the causal factors that may have influenced different events in the film, and consider the various implications of different courses of action that could have been adopted by characters in the scenario.…”