Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement

Chapter 10. Helping Learners Build Mental Models: Explicit Methods

What we learn to do, we learn by doing.

—ARISTOTLE

HELPING LEARNERS

build appropriate mental models is the focus of Chapters 9 and 10. This chapter describes instructional methods that promote behavioral activities that help learners build mental models, which form the basis for expertise. Some guidelines for explicit learning activities include:

• Incorporate frequent elaborative exercises

• Distribute practice throughout your learning event

• Provide explanatory feedback

• Use effective classroom questioning techniques

• Engage learners with graphics

• Promote self-explanations of content

• Incorporate collaborative learning opportunities

• Provide student notes during instructor-led instruction

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