How to Use Examples When Learning a New Skill
Learn how to use examples effectively when practicing a new skill. This guide explains how to select the right models, analyze their work, and apply the…
Learn how to use examples effectively when practicing a new skill. This guide explains how to select the right models, analyze their work, and apply the…
KEY TAKEAWAYS- Invented example: a trip covers 120 distance units in 3 time units, so its average speed is 40 distance units per time unit.
Fade a worked example instead of only watching it
Invented example: a trip covers 120 distance units in 3 time units, so its average speed is 40 distance units per time unit. Write the operation, result and units. Next, change the exercise to 150 units in 5 time units and attempt it before checking the answer of 30.
On a third attempt, choose the operation yourself rather than copying the layout. Record whether you chose the right relationship, calculated correctly and retained the units. These are separate checks; a correct number with the wrong units can conceal a misunderstanding.
EEF’s worked-example discussion is a starting point for the approach. The numbers and practice sequence here were created for this article; they are not a controlled trial or a promise of a particular learning outcome. Use an instructor’s subject-specific method when it differs.
References and method
EEF: Working with worked examples
Sources provide the background or official resources identified in the text. Worked examples and worksheets are UShotNews teaching aids, not reports of first-hand testing or independent research. Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed for scope and source relevance on October 26, 2026.
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