The Expertise Reversal Effect
Top Cited Papers
- 1 January 2003
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Educational Psychologist
- Vol. 38 (1), 23-31
- https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3801_4
Abstract
When new information is presented to learners, it must be processed in a severely limited working memory. Learning reduces working memory limitations by enabling the use of schemas, stored in long-term memory, to process information more efficiently. Several instructional techniques have been designed to facilitate schema construction and automation by reducing working memory load. Recently, however, strong evidence has emerged that the effectiveness of these techniques depends very much on levels of learner expertise. Instructional techniques that are highly effective with inexperienced learners can lose their effectiveness and even have negative consequences when used with more experienced learners. We call this phenomenon the expertise reversal effect. In this article, we review the empirical literature on the interaction between instructional techniques and levels of learner experience that led to the identification of the expertise reversal effect.Keywords
This publication has 54 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Role of Visual Indicators in Dual Sensory Mode InstructionEducational Psychology, 1997
- Multimedia learning: Are we asking the right questions?Educational Psychologist, 1997
- Individual Differences in Patterns of Spontaneous Online Tool UseJournal of the Learning Sciences, 1996
- Cognitive Load While Learning to Use a Computer ProgramApplied Cognitive Psychology, 1996
- Are Good Texts Always Better? Interactions of Text Coherence, Background Knowledge, and Levels of Understanding in Learning From TextCognition and Instruction, 1996
- Why Some Material Is Difficult to LearnCognition and Instruction, 1994
- Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learningCognitive Science, 1988
- Controlled and automatic human information processing: II. Perceptual learning, automatic attending and a general theory.Psychological Review, 1977
- Controlled and automatic human information processing: I. Detection, search, and attention.Psychological Review, 1977