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Process-Oriented Worked Examples: Improving Transfer Performance Through Enhanced Understanding

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Abstract

The research on worked examples has shown thatfor novices, studying worked examples is oftena more effective and efficient way of learningthan solving conventional problems. Thistheoretical paper argues that addingprocess-oriented information to worked examplescan further enhance transfer performance,especially for complex cognitive skills withmultiple possible solution paths.Process-oriented information refers to theprincipled (``why'') and strategic (``how'')information that experts use when solvingproblems. From a cognitive load perspective,studying the expert's ``why'' and ``how''information can be seen as constituting agermane cognitive load, which can fosterstudents' understanding of the principles of adomain and the rationale behind the selectedoperators, and their knowledge about howexperts select a strategy, respectively. Issueswith regard to the design, implementation, andassessment of effects of process-orientedworked examples are discussed, as well as thequestions they raise for future research.

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Correspondence to Tamara van Gog.

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van Gog, T., Paas, F. & van Merriënboer, J.J. Process-Oriented Worked Examples: Improving Transfer Performance Through Enhanced Understanding. Instructional Science 32, 83–98 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TRUC.0000021810.70784.b0

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