Can Advance Organizers Influence Meaningful Learning?

Abstract

In a recent review of research on advance organizers, Barnes & Clawson (1975, p. 651) concluded: Advance organizers, as presently constructed, do not facilitate learning. This paper discusses three limitations of the Barnes & Clawson review: inadequate representation of theory, inadequate analysis of learning outcomes, and inadequate experimental control. Then several theories of the effects of advance organizers on internal cognitive processes are presented. Finally, nine separate tests of the theories are presented based on experiments which overcome the problems cited above. These tests clearly favor an assimilation encoding theory, and provide consistent evidence that advance organizers can influence the outcome of learning if used in appropriate situations and measured properly.