Fostering Learning from Errors—Computer-Based Adaptivity at the Transition Between Problem Solving and Explicit Instruction

When learners acquire new content by working on a problem-solving task prior to explicit instruction, their attempts to solve the problem usually represent only partial steps on the way to the target concept. Both, theoretical assumptions on conceptual change as well as empirical findings on effective instructional formats with incorrect solutions, suggest that it is beneficial to address incorrect student solutions in a (subsequent) instruction phase by comparing incorrect and correct solutions. There is initial evidence that learning is most successful when learner compare the correct solution to an incorrect solution that reflects the learners’ conceptual understanding from the problem-solving phase. In the present study, we investigated in a highly controlled experimental design the relevance of this fit between the learners’ individual solution type from the problem-solving phase and the incorrect solution type in the instruction phase for learning success. In a computer-based learning environment, sixth graders worked on a problem-solving task to compare fractions. In the subsequent instruction phase, students in three conditions were given 1) an adaptive comparison, 2) a contra-adaptive comparison, 3) only the correct solution. Overall, there were no differences across conditions regarding the learning success. Further exploratory analyses revealed that only learners with an intermediate prior knowledge benefited from the adaptivity. This finding can be interpreted as indicator that our short intervention only induces conceptual change when basic knowledge is already available.