Last month, I reviewed Sweller’s cognitive load theory in light of recent updates to the research and its continued relevance in a world dominated by digital learning. This month, I will dig deeper into a single effect of the theory: the worked example. As the learning profession looks for new ways to engage learners in virtual settings, the worked example could be an overlooked tool in our instructional design toolboxes.

You probably experienced scaffolding when you learned how to ride a bike. At first, you started with training wheels to get the feel for the activity. After a while the training wheels came off, but someone ran beside you to ensure you didn’t fall and corrected your balance if you started to lean too far to one side. Finally, you were on your own. This type of scaffolding works well for activities based on specific physical actions, such as athletics, music, construction, and technology. It works where there is a significant hands-on component to what is being taught.

But many jobs require people to learn mental processes. That’s where worked examples come in. A worked example is a step-by-step demonstration of how to complete a task or solve a problem, with explanations of each stage or step, referencing a single instance to teach the general principles involved. While Sweller’s original research focused on students solving math problems, this approach lends itself to many applications for adult learners, such as:

The differences between the needs of novices and experienced learners are well-established in educational psychology. We recently saw this understanding reconfirmed when brain waves of novice and experienced learners were shown to be distinctly different when working on the same problem. As with all great instructional design, understanding the needs of your learning audience is critical to developing a successful design.

The worked example has been around for a long time, but you may have neglected to include it in your instructional designs. It can be a useful addition to your training programs for novices in many subjects.

Margie Meacham, “The Brain Lady,” is a scholar-practitioner in the field of education and learning and president of LearningToGo. She specializes in practical applications for neuroscience to enhance learning and performance. Meacham’s clients include businesses, schools, and universities. She writes a popular blog for the Association of Talent Development and has published two books, Brain Matters: How to Help Anyone Learn Anything Using Neuroscience and The Genius Button: Using Neuroscience to Bring Out Your Inner Genius.

She first became interested in the brain when she went with undiagnosed dyslexia as a child. Although she struggled in the early grades, she eventually taught herself how to overcome the challenge of a slight learning disability and became her high school valedictorian, graduated magna cum laude from Centenary University, and earned her master’s degree in education from Capella University with a 4.0.

Meacham started her professional career in high-tech sales, and when she was promoted to director of training, she discovered her passion for teaching and helping people learn. She became one of the first corporate trainers to use video conferencing and e-learning and started her own consulting company from there. Today she consults for many organizations, helping them design learning experiences that will form new neural connections and marry neuroscience theory with practice.

“I believe we are on the verge of so many wonderful discoveries about how we learn. Understanding what happens in the brain is making us better leaders, teachers, parents, and employees. We have no limits to what we can accomplish with our wonderful brains— the best survival machines ever built.” —Margie Meacham