Test then show: a learning design pattern

Shaun Thompson
Nov 8 · 8 min read

There is a formula, known as the quadratic formula, that enables you to calculate if, and where, a parabola curve cuts the horizontal axis in a graph.

Attribution: Get Learnt [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Most students learn this formula in early high school. A common method of teaching it is more or less as follows:

  • Provide the formula
  • Demonstrate how to use the formula to solve the equation…

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Shaun Thompson

Written by

Shaun Thompson is a senior learning designer with OpenLearning. He manages to work mathematics into virtually any topic.

The Learning Designers’ Toolkit

Helping each other design great online learning experiences. A blog by OpenLearning.

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