An effective metacognitive strategy: learning by doing and explaining with a computer-based Cognitive Tutor

• Published in: Cognitive science Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 147 - 179
• Main Authors: Aleven, Vincent A.W.M.M., Koedinger, Kenneth R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Elsevier Inc 01.03.2002; Taylor & Francis; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive tutors; Computer-based learning environments; Education; Educational psychology; Educational software; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Implicit and explicit learning; Instruction; Intelligent tutoring systems; Learning; Metacognition; Problem solving; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopedagogics. Didactics; Self-explanation; Computer-based learning environments; Learning; Implicit and explicit learning; Metacognition; Intelligent tutoring systems; Problem solving; Self-explanation; Cognitive tutors; Instruction; Human; Geometry; Acquisition process; Adolescent; Computer assisted teaching; Strategy; Cognition; Experimental study
• ISSN: 0364-0213; 1551-6709
• DOI: 10.1016/S0364-0213(02)00061-7

Recent studies have shown that self-explanation is an effective metacognitive strategy, but how can it be leveraged to improve students’ learning in actual classrooms? How do instructional treatments that emphasizes self-explanation affect students’ learning, as compared to other instructional treatments? We investigated whether self-explanation can be scaffolded effectively in a classroom environment using a Cognitive Tutor, which is intelligent instructional software that supports guided learning by doing. In two classroom experiments, we found that students who explained their steps during problem-solving practice with a Cognitive Tutor learned with greater understanding compared to students who did not explain steps. The explainers better explained their solutions steps and were more successful on transfer problems. We interpret these results as follows: By engaging in explanation, students acquired better-integrated visual and verbal declarative knowledge and acquired less shallow procedural knowledge. The research demonstrates that the benefits of self-explanation can be achieved in a relatively simple computer-based approach that scales well for classroom use.