Exploring Elaboration for Students

Elaboration uses detailed explanations and descriptions to further illustrate new information and make meaningful connections between concepts. Through elaboration, new information is combined with prior knowledge to increase your understanding of information.


Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, you will be able to:

  1. Explain the principle of elaboration
  2. Describe how elaboration improves learning
  3. Understand the barriers to using elaboration
  4. Demonstrate how to use interactive learning tools to support elaboration

Understanding Elaboration 

Elaboration involves digging below the surface of a concept to strengthen and extend understanding through explanation, description, and connection. An instructor’s visual materials will often include brief written, salient points about a topic, which the instructor verbally expands upon during the lesson. This verbal expansion is where elaboration starts. You are then tasked with taking the information provided, adding details, and connecting that information with your prior knowledge, experiences, and everyday life.

Elaboration can be accomplished through visualization, storytelling, and elaborative interrogation (asking probing questions). The key to elaboration is to create meaning and relevance for the concept. Ask “how”, “if/then” and “why” questions to prompt deep thinking about the topic, and then provide feedback to ensure you have clear understanding. Including lower-level recall and application questions will help you to gauge your knowledge and understanding of the topic, but also including higher-level questions will require you to extend your understanding through critical thinking (evaluation, analysis, and synthesis).

Text reads "If combining blue and red makes purple, then what colour combination might make orange?". Below the text, a blue circle is added to a red circle to equal a purple circle. Then, two empty circles with questions marks inside are added together to equal an orange circle.

Ask yourself these questions to gain a deeper understanding of a topic:

A wheel showing various questions to ask for elaboration. An accessible version of this graphic is available below.

Click here for an accessible version of the above image: Elaboration Questions.pdf


Elaboration - Video

The following two-and-a-half minute video is an introduction to elaboration. It explores what elaboration is and how it can support you in your learning. You can find this video at the following link: Tactic 4: Elaboration Video

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Elaboration - Video Transcript

INTRODUCTION  SCREEN [Music] – Elaboration

Student 1:

You can't have ice cream.

Child [irritated]:

Why?

Student 1 [calmly]:

Because you need to go to sleep soon.

Child [whining]:

Why?

Student 1 [calmly]:

Because you have school tomorrow.

Child [curious]:

Why?

Student 1 [calmly]:

So you can learn how to read and write and do math like the big kids.

Child [thoughtful]:

Oh… Okay! 

Student 2:

Don’t you get tired of answering all those questions?

Student 1:

Sometimes, but I get that she’s trying to understand why things are the way they are. Eventually she runs out of questions and moves on to something else. [pause] Believe it or not, it’s actually helped my studying.

Student 2 [surprised]:

Really?? How??

Student 1:

I used to study with just my course notes, but then I’d feel like I was missing information or just wasn’t able to put it all together when I’d write a test. I felt like I got the content but didn’t fully understand it at the same time. So, I started asking myself questions about the content before, during and after studying.

Student 2:

What sorts of questions? Like quizzing yourself?

Student 1:

No, I don’t mean asking questions to see what I remember. I start by figuring out the basics. What do I already know about the topic? Can I think of an example where I have seen or experienced the thing in my life? What do I still want or need to know about it? Then I start digging into the topic. How does it work? Why does it work like that? How will I distinguish this topic from a similar one? I try to expand on the information from class. Finally, I look for connections. I ask myself, how does the concept connect to other topics, other courses, and my life? Why is this topic important for me to know? How will I use this information? If I change something about it, or use it in a different way, then what might happen? [pause]

By asking myself these questions and taking a moment or two to think up answers and examples, I end up understanding the concept better and can write better test answers too!

Student 2:

You’re elaborating!

Student 1: 

I am?

Student 2:

Yeah, I do it too. Usually, I make up a story about the topic or picture myself working through the steps of a task. Letting my imagination play with the concept makes everything seem more real, and I can see how different pieces come together…or don’t, and then I can connect or apply it to different contexts.

Child: 

Come on! I hafta go to bed! I has school tomorrow!  I gotta learn the maths.....

Narrator: 

Ask yourself questions and engage your imagination through elaboration to dig deep and develop a more thorough understanding of course concepts.  

END SCREEN [Music] – This project was made possible with funding by the Government of Ontario and through eCampusOntario’s support of the Virtual Learning Strategy. Created by Durham College.


Elaboration - Infographic

This infographic will help you to understand how you can use elaboration to enhance your learning:

Elaboration Infographic.pdf

Attribution- Creative Commons-NonCommercial-NoDerivs by The Learning Scientists


Barriers to Elaboration

Within this section we explore some roadblocks that can prevent you from engaging in this particularly learning technique.

Resistance to Using Elaboration

Challenges You May Face Using Elaboration


Customizable Tools to Support Elaboration

These tools have been designed to be customizable by your professor, and they can be embedded directly into your course content.

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Flip Cards

Flip cards are often associated with retrieval practice, but they can also be useful for elaboration by asking application or open-ended questions or on the front of the card and providing feedback or further prompts on the back of the card.

Flip Cards Exemplar

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Question

How does elaboration work?

Answer

Digging below the surface of a concept through explanation, description, and connection strengthens and extends understanding.

Question

If combining blue and red makes purple, what colour combination might make orange? 

Answer

Yellow and Red

Reflection

Think of a concept you are trying to learn in one of your courses.

Prompt

What questions could you ask to help you elaborate on that topic?

Settings

The following setting(s) are available, please type 'y' for yes or 'n' for no in the following space provided:

  1. Randomize the flip cards when the page is loaded or refreshed by the learner? Type y for yes or n for no.   n

    Tips for Using Flip Cards

    • Answer the questions either verbally or in writing before you flip the card to check your answer. By consciously answering the question, you will recall information rather than merely recognize the answer.

    2

    Multi-select Questions

    Multi-select questions are similar to multiple choice, but because they require you to select one or more correct options from a list of answers .

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    Question 1 text: Which are effective elaboration questions? (select all that apply)

    feedback: "What is the definition of elaboration?" is a surface-level question that asks students to recall a fact. The other questions all require deeper thought or self-reflection to develop an answer.

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    Quiz Settings

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    1. Randomize the questions when the page is loaded or refreshed by the learner? Type y for yes or n for no. yes
    2. Insert Quiz Questions inside a Panel?Type y for yes or n for no. yes
    3. Make Panel Collapsible? Type y for yes or n for no. no
    4. Panel Title? Type the title of the panel. Multi-select Choice Quiz Tool Exemplar

    References

    Photography on this page used with permission from the Durham College Online Photo Database.

    Boser, U. (n.d.). Science of learning: Research meets practice – elaboration. The Learning Agency Lab. https://www.the-learning-agency-lab.com/learning-strategies/elaboration/

    Dunlosky, J. (2013). Strengthening the Student Toolbox: Study Strategies to Boost Learning. American Educator, 37(3), 12–21. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1021069.pdf

    Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K.A., Marsh, E.J., Nathan, M.J., & Willingham, D.T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266

    Karpicke, J. D., & O'Day, G. M. (in press). Elements of effective learning. In M. J. Kahana & A. D. Wagner (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Human Memory, Volume II: Applications. Oxford University Press. https://learninglab.psych.purdue.edu/downloads/inpress_Karpicke_ODay_Oxford_Handbook.pdf

    The Learning Scientists. (n.d.). Elaboration. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/elaboration

    Weinstein, Y., Madan, C.R. & Sumeracki, M.A. (2018). Teaching the science of learning. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-017-0087-y

    Weinstein Y., & Smith, M. (2016, July 7). Learn to study using... elaboration. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/7/7-1