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A recent investigation indicates that learners excel through predictive tasks, often without their awareness. This concept is central to studies published by Elise Walck-Shannon, a senior lecturer and educational expert in the Department of Biology within Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Contributors to the study included Heather Barton and Douglas Chalker; together, they lead a significant introductory genetics course at WashU. The teaching team explored three distinct educational approaches — inquiry-based prediction, tell-then-practice exercises, and worked examples — to assess which yielded the highest outcomes in terms of student learning improvements.

Unexpectedly, despite students’ beliefs that worked examples were the most beneficial, the highest learning advancements actually derived from predictive tasks.

This strategy proves effective because predictive tasks compel students to recognize their knowledge gaps. “That’s what education is,” noted Walck-Shannon. “Once you ascertain as much as you can, you become aware of the deficiencies in your understanding, and that’s when instructors can assist you, as well as your classmates.”

Discover more on the biology site.

The article Students don’t learn the way they think they do was first published on The Source.

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