The use of worked examples as a substitute for problem solving in learning algebra
John Sweller and Graham Cooper report five experiments on how students learn to solve algebra problems. The first compares Year 9, Year 11 and university mathematics students and finds that more experienced students are better at recalling equations and at telling apart equations that look alike but need different solution methods. The other four test whether studying worked examples can build the knowledge needed for problem solving. Worked examples take less time to process, and students who then solve similar problems do so faster and with fewer mathematical errors, but the gains apply only to problems with the same structure as the examples. The authors conclude that novices store general algebra rules as a limited set of problem-specific schemas.
John Sweller and Graham Cooper report five experiments on how students learn to solve algebra problems. The first compares Year 9, Year 11 and university mathematics students and finds that more experienced students are better at recalling equations and at telling apart equations that look alike but need different solution methods. The other four test whether studying worked examples can build the knowledge needed for problem solving. Worked examples take less time to process, and students who then solve similar problems do so faster and with fewer mathematical errors, but the gains apply only to problems with the same structure as the examples. The authors conclude that novices store general algebra rules as a limited set of problem-specific schemas.
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Sweller, J., & Cooper, G. A. (1985). The use of worked examples as a substitute for problem solving in learning algebra. Cognition and Instruction, 2(1), 59-89. doi:10.1207/s1532690xci0201_3 https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532690xci0201_3