The effects of presenting a worked example before a sequence of isomorphic problems

This study aims at investigating the effects of worked examples when they are shown before a sequence of isomorphic problems in a step-based algebraic Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS). We carried out an experiment with 54 students in a private school from southern Brazil, during six weeks, in which the participants were randomly assigned to a control group (ITS without worked examples) and an experimental group (ITS with worked examples). Although we were not able to find any difference between the learning gain of the control and experimental groups, the analysis of system logs showed that the average time per equation and the average time per solving step was lower (marginally significant) in the experimental group in the course of similar problems. We also found that the students in the experimental group spent less time solving the equations and its steps than students in the control group for the problems that were solved right after the presentation of the worked example. The results showed evidence that the learning efficiency in intelligent tutoring systems can be improved through an approach that presents a worked example at the beginning of a sequence of similar equations, with significant effect in the first equation after the worked example.