Phase 1: Prepare
Step 1 Warm-up recall
From Module 4: what is the gap pattern in an expanding schedule?
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Step 2 Learning goal
By the end of this lesson you can:
- define elaboration (Foundation);
- write why, how and what-if questions (Core);
- say when elaboration needs prior knowledge (Core).
Phase 2: Teach
Step 3 A familiar example
A fact such as "the heart has four chambers" is easy to forget. Asking why it needs four, and answering from what you know about lungs and body, ties it into a web.
Step 4 Clear explanation
Elaboration means adding meaning to new information by explaining it and connecting it to what you already know. A common form is elaborative interrogation: after reading a fact, ask why it is true and answer. Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated it as moderately useful, working best when the learner already has some background knowledge.
| Question type | Example (about the heart) | What it forces |
|---|---|---|
| What | What does the heart do? | Recall a fact |
| Why | Why does the heart have four chambers? | Find a reason |
| How | How does blood avoid mixing between sides? | Trace a mechanism |
| What if | What if a valve leaked? | Predict a consequence |
"What" questions check recall. "Why", "how" and "what if" questions build links, and the links give you more routes back to the fact later. If you cannot answer a why question, that is useful information: it shows a gap to fill from the text. Elaboration is weak when you know almost nothing about the topic, because there is nothing to link to, so start with the basics first. See the entry on working memory for why too many new items at once make linking hard.
Step 5 Worked example (4 marks)
A set of 10 notes is turned into questions: 3 "what", 4 "why" and 3 "how". How many are elaborative (why or how)?
- Why questions: 4. (1 mark)
- How questions: 3. (1 mark)
- Elaborative: 4 + 3 = 7. (1 mark)
- Answer: 7 of 10. (1 mark)
Phase 3: Practise
Step 6 Learner practice (instant-marked)
1. Elaboration means:
It links new ideas to old.
2. Which question is most elaborative?
A why question builds links.
3. Elaboration works best when you:
There must be something to link to.
4. If you cannot answer a why question you have found:
It shows what to study.
Phase 4: Close
Step 7 Recap
- Elaboration connects new facts to what you know.
- Why, how and what-if questions build links; what questions check recall.
- It needs some background to link to.
Step 8 Exit ticket (ungraded)
Turn one fact you learned today into a why question and answer it.
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Step 9 Go further (Extension)
Read the entry on working memory and note why linking new items to old ones eases the load.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Writing only what questions | Add why and how. |
| Answering from the page | Close it and answer from memory. |
| Elaborating with no background | Learn the basics first. |
Limits. Evidence is stronger for fact-rich material than for complex skills, and the benefit depends on prior knowledge.