Despite the potential advantages of instructional explanations, evidence indicates that they are usually ineffective. Subsequent work has shown that in order to make instructional explanations effective indeed, one successful strategy is to combine them with indications of the limitations in learners" understanding that they are intended to revise, which makes learners deeply process the explanations. We explored whether this is so for both learners with low and those with high prior domain knowledge. In one experiment, 77 participants with low and high prior knowledge learned about plate tectonics from a multimedia presentation. In addition to the presentation, half the participants received instructional explanations combined with indications, whereas the rest received instructional explanations with no indications. After using the materials, the participants solved retention and transfer tests. Results showed that low prior knowledge learners learned more from explanations including indications of their misunderstandings, whereas high prior knowledge learners profited from instructional explanations either with or without the indications. We discussed theoretical and practical implications.

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El Aprendizaje-Servicio es una metodología docente que propicia el aprendizaje en los alumnos, al tiempo que ofrece un servicio a la comunidad. Dado que su aplicación es cada vez más extendida y que un buen número de estudios empíricos avala sus efectos positivos, creemos conveniente tratar de explicar por qué el Aprendizaje-Servicio tiene tal impacto. Éste es el objetivo del presente trabajo. Para ello, vamos a apoyarnos en modelos que proceden de la Psicología de la Educación y que describen con detalle los procesos de aprendizaje. De acuerdo con estos modelos, cabe interpretar que la eficacia del Aprendizaje-Servicio radica en que es capaz de movilizar procesos de aprendizaje fríos y cálidos, entre los que se encuentran el control de la comprensión y la motivación.