Edu-Snippets

How can elaborative interrogation be used to improve reading comprehension?

Elaborative interrogation is an active learning strategy in which learners are prompted to answer “how” and “why” questions about material they are studying. For example, a student studying Hamlet might ask themselves, “Why does Hamlet contemplate the nature of existence?” In attempting to generate an explanation, the learner links the new fact or concept to their prior understanding, making the new fact more memorable.

Interestingly, students need not generate correct responses for elaborative interrogation to be of value. Rather, it’s the process of generating an explanation that forges the deeper links and makes material more memorable. Even if teachers need to later correct student misconceptions, the effort invested in generating an explanation is still a productive step toward deeper comprehension.

A key study of elaborative interrogation was conducted on first-year science students by three Maryland researchers. In their comparative study, 294 college students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the experimental condition, students were asked to read a challenging passage from one of their science texts. After each 150 words or so, they were asked a simple “Why” statement about the contents they had just read. The students in the control condition were given the same task, but they were prompted to reread the text after each 150 words.

Students in the elaborative interrogation condition were found to have a significantly better comprehension and lasting recall of the material. Continually prompting students to make sense of new ideas produced deeper understanding and greater retention.

Elaborative interrogation is a simple technique that can be used across many subjects, such as history, science, literature, math, and so on. For educators who wish to use elaborative interrogation, there are a few caveats to keep in mind:

1. Elaborative interrogation works best when students have established some prior knowledge about the subject. Otherwise, they’ll flounder when asked to generate a response to a “why” question, leading to frustration, guessing and nonsensical explanations.
2. Incorrect student explanations, if not corrected, can lead to misconceptions. When using elaborative interrogation, listen carefully to student responses and guide them toward stronger answers, if necessary.
3. If students are presented with too many “why” or “how” questions at once, they may find it cognitively overwhelming. It’s best to start with just one or two questions.