Learning from printed text is a central academic task that may be challenging for students. Two ways to improve learning from text are to encourage learners to engage in generative learning strategies while reading, such as constructing an outline, or for instructors to include effective instructional design features, such as providing an outline with the text. A meta-analysis of studies comparing a group that was asked to generate an outline while reading a text to a control group that was not asked to outline found an average effect size of g+ = 0.59 on memory tests, g+ = 0.59 on comprehension tests, and g+ = 0.52 on writing assignments favoring learner-generated outlining. A meta-analysis of studies comparing a group that read a text containing an outline with a control group that read the same text without an outline found an effect size of g+ = 0.61 for memory tests and g+ = 0.34 for comprehension tests favoring instructor-provided outlining. Overall, there is encouraging evidence for the effectiveness of outlining as a generative learning strategy and for the effectiveness of outlining as an instructional design feature based on signaling, consistent with generative learning theory.

从印刷文本中学习是一项中心学术任务，对学生来说可能具有挑战性。改进文本学习的两种方法是鼓励学习者在阅读时采用生成式学习策略，例如构建大纲，或者让教师包括有效的教学设计功能，例如提供文本大纲。一项研究的荟萃分析比较了一组在阅读文本时被要求生成大纲的组和一个没有被要求概述的对照组，发现记忆测试的平均效应大小为 g+ = 0.59，理解测试的平均效应大小为 g + = 0.59，和克+= 0.52 写作作业有利于学习者生成的大纲。一项对阅读包含大纲的文本的小组与阅读没有大纲的相同文本的对照组的研究的荟萃分析发现，记忆测试的效果大小为 g+ = 0.61，理解测试的效果大小为 g+ = 0.34，有利于教师提供概述。总的来说，有令人鼓舞的证据表明大纲作为生成学习策略的有效性以及大纲作为基于信号的教学设计特征的有效性，与生成学习理论一致。