Worked Examples
Why Showing How Before Asking To Do Is More Effective
The Problem: Thrown in the Deep End
Traditional teaching often goes like this:
- Quick explanation
- "Now you try it"
- Student struggles
- Teacher wonders why they don't get it
The problem isn't that the student is incapable. It's that their brain is overwhelmed.
The Science: The Worked Example Effect
In 1985, researchers Sweller and Cooper discovered something that seemed backwards:
Students who studied worked examples learned faster and better than students who practiced solving problems.
| Group | Activity | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| A | Practice solving problems | Learned slower, more errors |
| B | Study worked examples | Learned faster, fewer errors |
Wait — learning by doing less?
Yes. Here's why.
Why Problem-Solving Can Hurt Learning
When a novice tackles a new problem, their brain does this:
- Search for relevant knowledge
- Try an approach
- Evaluate if it's working
- Hold subgoals in working memory
- Track where they are in the problem
- Deal with dead ends
This consumes ALL available working memory.
What's left for actually learning the solution pattern? Nothing.
The student may eventually solve the problem (or not), but they haven't learned much about how to solve similar problems in the future.
What Worked Examples Do
A worked example shows every step of a solution, with explanations.
Instead of struggling to find the path, the student can focus on understanding the path.
| Problem-Solving | Worked Examples |
|---|---|
| "Figure it out" | "Here's how it's done" |
| Working memory on search | Working memory on understanding |
| May solve without learning | Learn the pattern |
| Frustration common | Competence builds |
The insight: For novices, explicit demonstration is more effective than discovery.
The I Do → We Do → You Do Framework
ISP uses a scaffolded progression called the "Gradual Release of Responsibility":
1. I Do (Modeling)
The teacher/system demonstrates the complete solution.
"Watch how I solve this. Notice each step."
Student's job: Observe and understand.
2. We Do (Guided Practice)
Student works through a similar problem with support.
"Let's do this one together. What should we do first?"
Some steps may be provided. Student fills in others.
3. You Do (Independent Practice)
Student applies the pattern independently.
"Now try this one on your own."
By now, the pattern is familiar. Working memory is free to execute, not search.
Faded Examples: The Bridge
Even better than pure worked examples are "faded" examples:
| Example Type | What Student Sees |
|---|---|
| Complete worked example | All steps shown |
| Faded example 1 | Most steps shown, student completes last step |
| Faded example 2 | Fewer steps shown, student completes more |
| Independent problem | Student does all steps |
This gradual transition ensures the student is never overwhelmed.
How ISP Applies This
TimeBack Lessons
Every new concept in TimeBack follows the worked example structure:
| Phase | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Presentation | Concept explained with complete worked example |
| Guided practice | Similar problems with partial scaffolding |
| Independent practice | Student works alone with immediate feedback |
| Mastery check | Demonstrates understanding without support |
Life Skills Persona Challenges
Even our persona-based learning uses this model:
| Phase | Example: "The Saban Process" |
|---|---|
| I Do | Watch video of Saban explaining "focus on the current task" |
| We Do | SSC helps student identify where they lose focus |
| You Do | Student practices 21 days of process-focused attention |
| You Teach | Student creates content explaining what they learned |
The Expertise Reversal
Here's an important nuance: worked examples are most beneficial for novices.
As students gain expertise, the benefit fades — and can even reverse.
| Learner Level | Best Approach |
|---|---|
| Novice | Full worked examples |
| Intermediate | Faded examples |
| Advanced | Problem-solving with minimal guidance |
Why? Experts have schemas in long-term memory. Worked examples can be redundant — the expert already knows the pattern and would learn more from applying it in novel ways.
ISP's adaptive system recognizes this and adjusts scaffolding based on demonstrated mastery.
What This Looks Like in Practice
8:00 AM: Your daughter starts a new topic — calculating compound interest.
Screen shows: A complete worked example. Every step labeled. Why we multiply. Why we use parentheses. The final answer.
8:05 AM: Next problem is nearly identical. But step 4 is blank.
"What goes here?"
She fills it in. Immediate feedback: correct.
8:10 AM: Another problem. Now steps 3 and 4 are blank.
8:15 AM: A problem with no steps shown. She solves it herself.
8:20 AM: Mastery check. She gets 88%. Concept unlocked.
Total time: 20 minutes. Frustration: minimal. Learning: maximum.
For Athletes: This Is How You Learned Your Sport
Think about how you learned a complex athletic skill:
| Stage | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Watch | Coach demonstrates perfect form |
| Mimic | You try while coach provides feedback |
| Practice | You repeat with decreasing guidance |
| Compete | You perform independently |
No coach would say "Figure out how to shoot a free throw" on day one. They show you first.
Academic learning should be the same.
The Research Behind This
| Researcher | Finding | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Sweller & Cooper | Worked examples beat problem-solving for novice algebra learning | 1985 |
| Sweller | Worked example effect explained via Cognitive Load Theory | 2006 |
| Kalyuga et al. | Expertise reversal — worked examples can hurt experts | 2003 |
| Catrambone | Subgoal labeling in worked examples improves transfer | 1995 |
| Renkl | Self-explanation during worked examples enhances learning | 1997 |
FAQs
Q: Won't my kid become dependent on being shown everything?
A: No. The worked example phase is temporary scaffolding. As mastery develops, the scaffolding fades. The goal is competent independence — worked examples are the path, not the destination.
Q: Isn't discovery learning better for creativity?
A: For novices learning new concepts? No. The research is clear: explicit instruction is more efficient. Discovery and exploration are valuable after basics are mastered — when working memory is freed up for creative application.
Q: How is this different from just "teaching to the test"?
A: Worked examples teach transferable patterns, not specific answers. A student who learns the pattern for solving equations can apply it to equations they've never seen.
Related Pages
- Cognitive Load Theory → — Why this works
- Direct Instruction → — The broader framework
- Mastery Learning → — What comes after worked examples
- Learning Science Overview → — All principles
"Show them how before asking them to do. That's not lowering expectations — it's setting them up to succeed."