Worked examples for assisting student learning

By Michael Seery2015-03-24T08:00:00

Source: © Shutterstock

Michael Seery works through some worked examples

Ask any colleague whether they use worked examples, and they will of course say that they do. But a closer look at how we use worked examples can be valuable. According to cognitive load theory, novice learners will approach a problem with little prior knowledge of either the approach to use or the chemistry content. Thus, the problem can cause a significant load in the working memory, causing the student to think the question is too difficult. Considering worked examples more formally allows us to think again about how we can use them in our teaching.

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