The following is a summary of “High variability in learning materials benefits children’s pattern practice,” published in the December 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Zhang et al.
Concrete learning materials, such as pictures and objects, are often considered beneficial for learning. However, the impact of variability in these materials, specifically using different versus identical materials, remains critical to explore. In this study, researchers investigated the influence of variability in concrete images on children’s learning of repeating patterns (e.g., ABBABBABB).
A cohort of 87 children, aged between 4 to 6 years, predominantly from the United States (75% White; 44% female), participated in a Zoom-based experiment designed to provide brief pattern training. The children were randomly assigned to three training conditions: Low, Medium, and High Variability. These conditions differed based on whether the materials used were consistently the same or exhibited variations in their perceptual features.
Notably, children in the low variability condition initially performed better, but this trend was later reversed. Conversely, those in the High Variability condition demonstrated the most proficient performance by the conclusion of training and during the subsequent posttest. This outcome suggests that utilizing diverse materials may facilitate children’s ability to recognize common patterns across different instances, ultimately enhancing their learning outcomes.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022096523002059