Teach Problem Solving; Worked Examples

These clear steps help guide teachers in developing worked examples in any subject (not just maths!). Worked examples can be used to reduce cognitive load for students learning to problem solve: Directing many ‘novices’ just to problem solve doesn’t work. The cognitive load can be too much, and working memory becomes overtaxed. “Students must develop their working memories to cope with higher processing demands. A well-structured course of worked examples can assist problem solving competence” (p.410 Ayres & Sweller in Hattie & Anderman 2013)"