Learning to avoid biased reasoning: effects of interleaved practice and worked examples

Abstract

It is yet unclear which teaching methods are most effective for improving critical thinking (CT) skills and especially for the ability to avoid biased reasoning. Two experiments (laboratory: N = 85; classroom: N = 117), investigated the effect of practice schedule (interleaved/blocked) on students' learning and transfer of unbiased reasoning, and whether it interacts with practice-task format (worked-examples/problems). After receiving CT-instructions, participants practiced in: (1) a blocked schedule with worked examples, (2) an interleaved schedule with worked examples, (3) a blocked schedule with problems, or (4) an interleaved schedule with problems. In both experiments, learning outcomes improved after instruction/practice. Surprisingly, there were no indications that interleaved practice led to better learning/transfer than blocked practice, irrespective of task format. The practice-task format did matter for novices' learning: worked examples were more effective than low-assistance practice problems, which demonstrates -for the first timethat the worked-example effect also applies to novices' learning to avoid biased reasoning.

Repeated Retrieval Practice to Foster Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

“…Contrary to our expectations, we did not reveal pretest to posttest performance gains on learning items. Thus, we did not replicate the finding that participants' performance improves after explicit instructions combined with retrieval practice on domain-specific problems (Hypothesis 1: e.g., Heijltjes et al, 2015;Van Peppen et al, 2018;Van Peppen, Verkoeijen, Kolenbrander, et al, 2021). It should be noted, however, that this comparable level of posttest performance was attained in less time than pretest performance (i.e., prior to instruction/practice).…”

“…Transfer is the process of applying one's prior knowledge or skills to related materials or some new context (e.g., Barnett & Ceci, 2002;Cormier & Hagman, 2014;Haskell, 2001;Perkins & Salomon, 1992;Salomon & Perkins, 1989). There are some insights into fostering transfer of CT-skills to isomorphic tasks (in this study referred to as learning; e.g., Heijltjes, Van Gog, Leppink, et al, 2014), but not into transfer to novel tasks that share underlying principles but have not been previously encountered (e.g., Heijltjes et al, 2015;Heijltjes, Van Gog, Leppink, et al, 2014;Van Peppen et al, 2018;Van Peppen, Verkoeijen, Kolenbrander, et al, 2021). As it is crucial that students can successfully apply the CT-skills acquired at a later time and to novel contexts/problems and it would be unfeasible to train students on each and every type of reasoning bias they will ever encounter, more knowledge is needed into the conditions that not only yield learning of CT-skills but also transfer.…”

“…Nonetheless, while some effective instructional approaches for learning CT have been identified, it is still unclear which methods are most effective in supporting the ability to transfer what has been learned (Halpern & Butler, 2019;Heijltjes et al, 2015;Heijltjes, Van Gog, Leppink, et al, 2014;Ritchhart & Perkins, 2005;Tiruneh et al, 2014Tiruneh et al, , 2016Van Peppen et al, 2018;Van Peppen, Verkoeijen, Kolenbrander, et al, 2021). Transfer is the process of applying one's prior knowledge or skills to related materials or some new context (e.g., Barnett & Ceci, 2002;Cormier & Hagman, 2014;Haskell, 2001;Perkins & Salomon, 1992;Salomon & Perkins, 1989).…”

Enhancing students’ critical thinking skills: is comparing correct and erroneous examples beneficial?

“…These studies revealed that CT-skills of many higher education graduates are insufficiently developed (e.g., Arum & Roksa, 2011;Flores et al, 2012;Pascarella et al, 2011; although a more recent meta-analytic study reached the more positive conclusion that students' do improve their CT-skills over college years : Huber & Kuncel, 2016). Hence, there is a growing body of literature on how to teach CT (e.g., Abrami et al, 2008Abrami et al, , 2014Van Peppen et al, 2018, 2021Angeli & Valanides, 2009;Niu et al, 2013;Tiruneh et al, 2014Tiruneh et al, , 2016.…”

“…Previous research has shown that CT-skills required for unbiased reasoning consistently failed to transfer to novel problem types, i.e., far transfer, even when using instructional methods that proved effective for fostering transfer in various other domains (Van Peppen et al, 2018, 2021Heijltjes et al, 2014aHeijltjes et al, , 2014bHeijltjes et al, , 2015 this also applies to CT-skills more generally, see for example Halpern, 2014;Ritchhart & Perkins, 2005;Tiruneh et al, 2014Tiruneh et al, , 2016. This lack of transfer of CT-skills is worrisome because it would be unfeasible to train students on each and every type of reasoning bias they will ever encounter.…”