Learning from Worked-out Examples: the Transition from Instructional Explanations to Self-explanation Prompts

A recent study on example-based learning revealed that instructional explanations provided in addition to self-explanation prompts can impair learning results. Additionally, Education students in different programs (didactically-oriented versus subject matter-oriented) differed in their learning outcomes. In this study we intended to find a favourable combination of instructional explanations and self-explanation prompts. Thereby, differences of potential target-groups were taken into account. Fortyeight students of Education were taught by two different learning conditions of a computer-based learning environment how to effectively design learning materials: (1) learning was fostered only by selfexplanation prompts, (2) instructional support changed during the course of learning from instructional explanations to self-explanation prompts. The results showed that Education students from a subject matter-oriented program achieved the highest learning outcomes in the combined condition. Future teachers from a didactically-oriented program learned most successfully by being supported by selfexplanation prompts only. Both groups clearly preferred the combined condition.