Self-explanation: read your answer like an examiner
Chi and intelligent-tutoring research show explaining steps deepens understanding
After a practice essay or extended response, don’t just read the mark scheme — narrate why each sentence should earn a mark and which AO it serves. Gaps in your explanation reveal gaps in your thinking before the real exam.
Evidence
Chi (2000) describes self-explanation as generating inferences and repairing mental models while reading expository text. Aleven & Koedinger (2002) showed in classroom studies that prompting students to explain solution steps during practice improved learning with Cognitive Tutors. Evidence: https://chilab.asu.edu/lcl/publications/chi-m-t-h-2000-self-explaining-expository-texts-dual-processes-generating — https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15516709cog2602_1
Two-minute self-explanation drill
- Read your paragraph aloud
- After each sentence ask: ‘What mark does this buy, and why?’
- If you can’t answer, revise the sentence until the link is obvious
- End with: ‘Where is my AO4 and does it answer the exact question?’