Getting students to explain what they have just learnt is a highly effective way to enhance understanding. Unfortunately, many students are reluctant to speak up and use this strategy. But why is this the case? And how can we help encourage explaining as a learning tool among students? Read on to learn more about:
- Why students avoid using explanations
- What research says about promoting explanations as a learning strategy
- Practical implications for the classroom
Introduction to self-explanations
Self-explanations, which is a Generative Learning technique, encourage students to express recently learnt concepts using their own words. This process requires students to connect what they have just learnt to prior knowledge and experiences, promoting a deeper understanding of the material. Instead of simply regurgitating facts by rote, students are playing an active role in recalling and producing relevant information.
Furthermore, explaining new concepts to classmates (or even a hypothetical audience) reinforces student understanding through the Protégé Effect. In fact, research has shown that when students knew they would have to explain new learning material to others, they used more effective learning strategies, engaged in increased metacognitive processing, and were more motivated.
Despite the benefits of explanations, students still do not seem to engage in them. Instead, they have a tendency to choose learning methods that require less effort. This is rather unhelpful, especially since we tend to learn more when we think hard about things.
What the research says about using explanations to learn
One recent paper investigated the role of explanations for learning. Among many other points, the researchers investigated how often participants chose explanations as a learning strategy, plus potential barriers to using explanations in the classroom. They also tested an intervention to see if it would promote explaining among participants.
Here is what they found:
1. Explanation is an effective learning strategy
After learning new information, participants were asked to write an explanation for a hypothetical audience. These participants went on to score 7% higher on a memory test than those who did not write out an explanation.
2. Explanation is not a popular choice of study
When given a choice, most participants avoided explaining what they learned. Instead, they were twice more likely to pick methods that did not expose gaps in their knowledge, such as restudying. Researchers believe participants avoid explaining because it can feel uncomfortable to realise their knowledge gaps.
3. Simple interventions enhance students’ use of explanations
To reduce the discomfort students felt from identifying knowledge gaps, an intervention that increased their perceived competence on the topic was implemented. Here, participants who answered a few easy questions before making a choice were 35% more likely to employ explanations as a study method. Crucially, this change was driven by the new belief that explaining was a more pleasant and effective option.
Consistent with the above finding, participants who were educated about the effectiveness of explanations were twice as likely to use it than those who were not. Meanwhile, participants used explanations 57% more when they learnt that explanations were pleasant. This suggests that when participants believe that explanations are effective and fun, they are more likely to engage in it.
4. The findings were replicated in a real-world setting
The researchers conducted a similar experiment with university students. They found that students who believed they were competent had a higher interest in engaging in explaining. This is really interesting, as the reality is that students potentially with the most to gain from self-explanations were the ones least likely to do so.
And as with the earlier finding, students again scored higher (5%) in subsequent tests than those who had simply reviewed the learning material.
Practical implications for the classroom
Given the results, the authors suggest two areas for teachers to reflect on:
It is possible to increase the use of explanations among students – Given how low perceived competence was shown to deter the use of explanations, it is important to find ways to increase students’ belief in their ability to overcome knowledge gaps. This begs the question: how do you go about boosting your students’ subjective knowledge and help them to believe that explanations are fun and effective?
Explanations are less likely to be used by students who actually need them – Students who struggle are less likely to use effective strategies like explanations. This could see them falling even further behind their peers. So, what teaching strategies could you employ to ensure these students don’t fall victim to their low self-belief?
Final thoughts on encouraging explanations
Sadly, it is not uncommon to see students use learning strategies that aren’t useful, while neglecting those that are actually more effective. This is no exception when it comes to explanations. As such, it is our responsibility to balance what students want with what they need to maximise their learning. If we get this right, we can harness the power of explanations for better student outcomes.
