Exploring Concrete Examples

Concrete examples use specific, relatable details to support students in developing a connection to and deep understanding of abstract concepts. Concrete examples can be used when introducing a topic to guide students in their understanding and also during retrieval practice to cement the concept in the student’s long-term memory.


Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, you will be able to:

  1. Explain the principle of concrete examples
  2. Describe how concrete examples improve learning
  3. Identify the barriers to using concrete examples
  4. Demonstrate how to use interactive learning tools to support concrete examples

Understanding Concrete Examples

The principle of concrete examples involves the use of specific, relatable examples to help students understand abstract ideas. Concrete examples may be provided as descriptions, stories, objects, images or models. Examples that students can relate to increase student engagement, clarify concepts, connect to prior learning and enhance understanding and remembering. Examples that model how a student might apply the information not only provide a deeper understanding of the concept, but they can also demonstrate its relevance and guide students through steps to problem-solving.

Consider the idea of “academic success”. Academic success is an abstract concept as it holds different meaning for different people. Because abstract concepts are vague, they are difficult to connect with and remember, and challenging for students to learn. Clarifying using examples that include specific details connect more easily with a student’s existing knowledge and experiences, which makes it easier for the student to retrieve that information from their memory.

This is a picture of a spectrum of instructions ranging from abstract directions to concrete instructions.

Click here for an accessible version of the above image: Abstract vs. Concrete.pdf


Concrete Examples - Video

The following two minute video is an introduction to concrete examples. It explores what concrete examples are and how they can support students in their learning. Feel free to include this short video into your own courses to guide students as they explore effective learning techniques. You can find this video at the following link: Tactic 3: Concrete Examples Video

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Concrete Examples - Video Transcript

INTRODUCTION  SCREEN [Music] – Concrete Examples

Professor:

And so, smell and memory are closely linked. Whenever I smell oatmeal, with a little bit of brown sugar in it, I’m reminded of my childhood…sitting in our kitchen on a cold morning before walking to school [trails off in reverie]

Student 1:

Um, excuse me, Professor?

Student 1 [curious, cautious]:

Why are you telling us about your childhood?

Professor [excited]:

I’m giving you a concrete example! The idea of scent and memory being connected may not immediately make sense to everyone, but as soon as I describe the smell of oatmeal as triggering a memory of my childhood for me, some people in the class probably also recalled the smell of oatmeal and their own memories of oatmeal.

Professor [to the class]:

What are some other examples of your memories that are triggered by smells?

Student 2:

When I smell fall leaves I remember my Grade 11 camping trip to Algonquin.

Professor:

Yes, excellent! How about another example?

Student 3:

Peppermint tea always makes me think of my nana.

Professor:

Very good! Anyone else?

Student 1:

The smell of sweaty gym socks reminds me of winning the football championship.

Student 3 [quietly]:

Ewww

Professor:

Exactly! These are all concrete examples. Concrete examples use specific details, like the different smells and memories you shared, to help explain a concept that is difficult to understand. By using multiple examples that you can relate to, you form more specific connections to the content, helping you to identify key information. This makes it easier for you to remember the information!

Professor:

Take note of any examples provided during class or in your course materials. Come up with your own examples and share examples with your classmates as well. The more concrete examples you use that contain different details, the better you will understand and remember the concept you are trying to learn.

Narrator: 

Concrete examples will help you to connect new information with what you already know and to build an understanding of hard-to-grasp 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.

You can use this video in some interesting and creative ways:


Concrete Examples - Infographic

You may want to share this infographic with your students to help them understand how they can use concrete examples for learning:

Concrete Examples Infographic.pdf

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


Barriers to Concrete Examples

Within this section we explore some roadblocks that can prevent students from engaging in this particularly learning technique. These can be used in a number of ways:

  1. establish a reflective checklist for students to assist them in assessing their previous habits and methods of studying
  2. support discussions about progress and next steps with students
  3. as a means of feedback to support students while they build their competency with learning

Resistance to Using Concrete Examples

Challenges Students May Face Using Concrete Examples


References

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

Harvard, B. (2018, January 1). A more concrete classroom. The Effortful Educator. https://theeffortfuleducator.com/2018/01/01/a-more-concrete-classroom/

The Learning Scientists. (n.d.). Concrete examples. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/concrete-examples

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, August 25). Learn to study using... concrete examples. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/8/25-1