Can tutored problem solving benefit from faded worked-out examples?

Although problem solving supported by Cognitive Tutors has been shown to be successful in fostering initial acquisition of cognitive skills, this approach does not seem to be optimal with respect to focusing the learner on the domain principles to be learned. In order to foster a deep understanding of domain principles, we developed a Cognitive Tutor that contained, on the basis of the theoretical rational of examplebased learning, faded worked-out examples. We conducted two experiments in which we compared the example-enriched Cognitive Tutor with a standard Cognitive Tutor. In Experiment 1, we found no significant differences in the effectiveness of the two tutor versions. However, the example-enriched Cogntive Tutor was more efficient (i.e., students needed less learning time). A problem that was observed is that students had great problems in appropriately using the example-enriched tutor. In Experiment 2, we, therefore, provided students with additional instructions on how to use the tutor. Results showed that students in fact acquired a deeper conceptual understanding when they worked with the example-enriched tutor and they needed less learning time than in the standard Tutor. The results are suggestive of ways in which instructional models of problemsolving and example-based learning can be fruitfully combined.