MOMMY CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HELP ME LEARN?
The goal of a new study from Vanderbilt University was to examine whether explaining to another person improves learning and transfer. In the study, four- and five-year olds solved multiple classification problems, received accuracy feedback and were prompted to explain the correct solutions to their moms, to themselves or to repeat the solutions.
The study found that generating explanations improved problem-solving accuracy following the test, while explaining things to the mother led to the greatest problem-solving transfer. This indicates that explanation prompts can facilitate transfers in children as young as five years and reveals that it matters if the mother is listening. Even though it is possible that prompting children could be a substitute for the positive influences of a listener, there is reason to suspect that explaining to another person improves learning.
People often produce more detailed and explicit explanations and justify their ideas more when they are doing so for other people rather than just for themselves. And young people adjust their speech based on the age of the listener. It follows that explaining to others may increase motivation and also support more complete and explicit knowledge. This improved knowledge could be more easily transferred to new situations and problems.
The Vanderbilt study’s sentiments seem to be echoed in a new piece in Teacher Magazine written by Kathie Marshall (second link). Marshall begins by noting that a great deal of research has been conducted on the importance of student discussion and its prevalence in class. However, research from Martin Nystrand finds that eighth graders spend an average of 50 seconds per class in sustained conversation, with ninth graders spending only 30 seconds. So Marshall set out to see if discussion could help improve struggling students.
After four weeks, Marshall was amazed at the results of this strategy. Many ‘C’ and ‘D’ students were suddenly performing at the top of the class and were highly engaged in their work. One student wrote in her notebooks that "I like this class because in our other classes, we get in trouble if we want to talk about what we are learning."
Learning from Explaining: Does it matter if mom's listening?
Best Practices: Getting to Comprehension in the Classroom by Kathie Marshall Feb 19, 2008
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!
ReplyDeleteI know two brothers who are taking the same classes (OK, they're twins...) who are doing phenomenally well in school.
They're smart, hardworking kids, but the secret weapon is: they're twins. They do all their homework together; they've got a built-in study group.
I'd figure that out awhile back, but last week when I spoke to their mom she said the same thing.
Very interesting research. I know from personal experience that explaining an idea helps clarify your own thoughts.
ReplyDeleteDoes the research indicate if matters where the student is on the continuum of mastery?
If a student is in "exposure" mode, can verbalizing help just as much as when the student mostly understands, but is just a little shaky?
I wish I could remember a study I just read on this very subject.
ReplyDeleteI have a vague memory they were looking at whether this phenomenon works because it's "diagnostic" (i.e. in trying to explain something you discover what you don't understand) or whether it also had an impact beyond diagnosis.
In any case, I have seen for myself how powerful it is to have two middle school kids explaining things to each other.
Ed and I listened in one day when C. and his friend studied ,atj together -- incredible.
The other kid went on to get a 90 on the midterm!