When the Example Is Gone, Can You Begin?

You can follow every step while the worked example is open. Close it, and the first move disappears. The explanation felt familiar; choosing the next step still requires support.

You do not need to abandon examples. You need practice that gives the example a clear job, then gives you a turn to do the work.

Study one solution with a specific purpose

Choose a worked example appropriate to your level. Read the question before studying its answer. Identify the result being sought, the information available and the reason for the first step.

Then follow the sequence. Beside one important step, write why it belongs there. Avoid copying an entire page of explanations if the missing connection concerns one operation or instruction.

If you cannot understand the example yet, seek a clearer explanation or prerequisite teaching. Asking yourself to work independently will not supply knowledge that has not been taught.

Give yourself the next turn

Choose a similar practice problem and put the solution out of sight. Keep the question visible. Write the first step you would take and why.

For a hypothetical percentage exercise, the example finds a reduction from an original price. On the practice question, begin by identifying which amount the percentage applies to. Do that before copying an operation remembered from the demonstration.

If you are stuck, return only to the part of the example that addresses the gap. Read it, put it aside and try the practice step again. Record what help you needed. Needing a prompt is information about your present learning, not a character judgment.

Alternate support with a fresh attempt

The Institute of Education Sciences’ 2007 practice guide recommends alternating worked solutions and problem-solving exercises, with moderate evidence for that recommendation. Its discussion particularly concerns mathematical and scientific problem solving. It does not establish that one exercise suits every subject or learner.

The practical sequence here follows that principle: study an appropriate example, attempt a related problem, inspect the result and use another example where it clarifies the difficulty.

Keep the practice purposeful. If the first decision is consistently difficult, focus there. If the reasoning is clear but arithmetic slips, check the calculation. If the instructions are unfamiliar, ask about the task before treating the method as the problem.

Check the attempt, not the feeling

Compare your work with an approved solution or the relevant course criteria. Mark where your reasoning first diverged. A correct answer with a guessed method still deserves examination; an unfinished attempt may reveal a sound first step.

Do not use one successful question as proof of competence in the entire subject. For regulated or safety-critical work, practise in the approved setting and meet the required supervision and assessment standards.

Before ending, complete one sentence: “I can now begin this kind of task by…, and I still need help with…”. Use that note to plan the next session.

A worked example is valuable support. The next question is whether you can take a responsible step when it is no longer doing the choosing for you.

Source: Institute of Education Sciences, Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (2007), Recommendation 2. The practice sequence is an editorial adaptation.

Related reading: The Question That Reveals Whether You Understand, for testing which conditions change an answer.