The acquisition of problem- solving skills in mathematics: How animations can aid understanding of structural problem features and solution procedures.
Scheiter, K., Gerjets, P., & Schuh, J. (2010, September). Instructional Science, 38(5), 487–502. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ893415
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examining32Students, grade9
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: January 2023
- Practice Guide (findings for Animating worked examples–Scheiter et al. (2010))
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Similiar Problems |
Animating worked examples–Scheiter et al. (2010) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
69.59 |
46.50 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Unrelated Problems |
Animating worked examples–Scheiter et al. (2010) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
62.99 |
42.00 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Equivalent Problems |
Animating worked examples–Scheiter et al. (2010) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
83.62 |
75.78 |
No |
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Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 56%
Male: 44% -
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International
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in a German high school. Treatment and control students both attended a "project day" exploring learning through new media.
Study sample
Of the 32 participating students, 18 were female and 14 were male.
Intervention Group
Students attended a "project day" exploring learning through new media. The treatment group read three textbook chapters on biology, chemistry, and physics on a computer screen. The topics all lend themselves to algebra problems and within each chapter, there were three worked out examples of such problems. These worked examples were each accompanied by an animation. Animations start as a representation of the problem in concrete objects. These objects are then slowly morphed into mathematical symbols. Students take the pretest, complete the computer-based reading, and then take a post-test all in the same day (approximately two hours).
Comparison Group
These students also attended a "project day" exploring learning through new media. The comparison group read three textbook chapters on biology, chemistry, and physics on a computer screen. The topics all lend themselves to algebra problems and within each chapter, there were three worked out examples of such problems. Examples were presented as text only with no accompanying animation. Students take the pretest, complete the computer-based reading, and then take a post-test all in the same day (approximately two hours).
Support for implementation
None noted.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
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A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
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The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).