Explaining Orally Holds Lead Over Writing Explanations: Text Difficulty and Self-Concept Matter

• In Event: Learning Context and Discourse

Abstract

Generating explanations is an instructional activity to support learning. Recent research investigated the effect of oral versus written explanations, however, generated mixed findings. Therefore, we investigated the stability of this explaining-modality effect. In Experiment 1 we demonstrated that explaining-modality depended on the difficulty of the learning material: University students (N = 115) who explained orally outperformed students who wrote an explanation when explaining difficult but not easy material. In Experiment 2 we investigated the effect with middle-school students (N = 129). Results indicated no explaining-modality effect. However, moderation analyses revealed that self-concept moderated the explaining-modality effect on students’ learning: Students with low self-concept benefited most from explaining orally. The findings suggest that explaining-modality is constrained by specific boundary conditions.

Authors

• Leonie Jacob, Leibniz Institute für Wissensmedien

• Andreas Lachner

• Katharina Scheiter, Knowledge Media Research Center