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Enhancing learning through strategy instruction and group interaction: is active generation of elaborations critical?
Author(s) -
Willoughby Teena,
Wood Eileen,
McDermott Catherine,
McLaren Jennifer
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0720(200001)14:1<19::aid-acp619>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - psychology , interrogation , intervention (counseling) , group (periodic table) , social psychology , mathematics education , cognitive psychology , chemistry , archaeology , organic chemistry , psychiatry , history
We examined strategic intervention when learners were actively engaged in group discussion to assess the impact of peer interaction. In addition, memory performance was compared between students who generated or evaluated elaborations when using the elaborative interrogation strategy, as well as between a supported strategy where learners were provided with explanatory elaborations and a self‐study condition. Introductory psychology students ( N =263) in groups of 3 to 5 members studied sixty facts about familiar and unfamiliar animals. Overall, the potency of elaborative interrogation was confirmed regardless of whether students studied interactively or independently. The contribution of group members in facilitating knowledge when the group was able to share sophisticated strategic information also was highlighted. Most critically, when background knowledge was sufficient to promote connections between existing and new material, it was the active generation of elaborations that maximized learning. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.