Exploratory learning in two modalities: Tabular vs graphical.

In traditional educational settings, an instructor delivers a lecture prior to providing students a practice activity. Exploratory learning reverses this order to encourage active learning and engagement, typically improving learning outcomes. However, more research is needed in order to determine how to optimally design exploratory learning materials, and how differences in such design impact learning processes and outcomes. The current study investigated the impact of instructional order and activity modality type (tabular or graphical) on learning outcomes. Undergraduate students (N=252) were taught the statistical concept of consistency and the formula to compute standard deviation. In the instruct-first condition, students received direct instruction, then practiced with the activity in either tabular or graphical modalities. In the explore-first condition, students explored the activity in either modality, then received instruction. Assessments included both learning outcomes (procedural knowledge, conceptual understanding, and representational transfer) and questionnaire measures (awareness of knowledge gaps, curiosity, and cognitive load). Instructional order and activity modality did not impact student learning outcomes. However, for students who explored first using graphical problem materials, using multiple solution attempts led to higher conceptual understanding than using fewer solution attempts. This was not the case for exploring tabular materials, which showed no differences in learning when using a low or high number of solution attempts. After the exploration phase, students report greater awareness of knowledge gaps and curiosity than those who received instruction first. After both the instruction and activity phases concluded, students who received instruction first report greater awareness of knowledge gaps, which was negatively associated with learning outcomes. Students using graphical materials reported lower cognitive load than those using tabular materials. Findings suggest that the depth of exploration and aspects of the learning process may affect whether students benefit conceptually from exploring before instruction, specifically when using graphical materials. Further research is needed to delineate how activity design, posttest design, and other learning mechanisms impact learning from exploration.