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Explanatory support for learning includes instructional explanations that are aimed at teaching and sharing with others a particular aspect of the learning contents (Leinhardt 2001, 2010). Instructional explanations are a central deliberate act of teaching and are one of the most prevalent strategies in instruction, for example, in classroom teaching, textbooks, human tutoring, peer learning, and computer-based learning environments. They are correct, complete, and coherent. Therefore, they are qualified to (a) efficiently introduce learners to a new learning content to enable a basic understanding, (b) elaborate concepts and procedures to deepen the understanding of the learners further, and (c) clarify difficult aspects of the learning contents when learners get stuck. Despite the very common use of instructional explanations, empirical studies show that very often, they have no positive effects on learning outcomes. This...
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References
Berthold, K., & Renkl, A. (2010). How to foster active processing of explanations in instructional communication. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 25–40. doi:10.1007/s10648-010-9124-9.
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Leinhardt, G. (2010). Introduction: Explaining instructional explanations. In M. K. Stein & L. Kucan (Eds.), Instructional explanations in the disciplines (pp. 1–5). New York: Springer.
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Berthold, K. (2012). Explanatory Support for Learning. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_1723
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