Subgoal learning, a technique used to break down problem solving into manageable pieces, has been used to promote retention and transfer in procedural domains, such as programming. The primary method of learning subgoals has been passive, and passive learning methods are typically less effective than constructive methods. To promote constructive methods of learning subgoals, we prompted learners to self-explain the subgoals of a problem-solving procedure. Self-explanation asks learners to make sense of new information based on prior knowledge and logical reasoning. Novices’ self-explanation is typically more effective when they receive guidance, because it helps them to focus on relevant information. In the present experimental study, the types of guidance that students received while self-explaining determined whether the constructive learning method was more effective than the passive method. Participants assigned to the constructive learning method performed best when they either received hints about the subgoals or received correct explanations as feedback, but not when they received both. These findings suggest that constructive learning of subgoals can further improve the benefits of subgoal learning when students receive only guidance that complements their construction of knowledge. This nuance is important for educators who engage their students in constructive learning and self-explanation.

次目标学习是一种用于将问题的解决分解为可管理的部分的技术，已被用于促进程序域（例如编程）中的保留和转移。学习子目标的主要方法是被动的，并且被动学习方法通​​常不如建设性方法有效。为了促进学习子目标的建设性方法，我们提示学习者对问题解决过程的子目标进行自我解释。自我解释要求学习者基于先验知识和逻辑推理来理解新信息。当新手得到指导时，他们的自我解释通常会更有效，因为它可以帮助他们专注于相关信息。在目前的实验研究中，学生在自我解释时接受的指导类型决定了建构性学习方法是否比被动学习方法更有效。分配给建构式学习方法的参与者在收到有关子目标的提示或获得正确的解释作为反馈时表现最佳，但是当他们同时获得两者时，则表现最佳。这些发现表明，当学生仅接受补充其知识构造的指导时，对子目标的建设性学习可以进一步改善子目标学习的好处。这种细微差别对于让学生参与建设性学习和自我解释的教育工作者而言非常重要。分配给建构式学习方法的参与者在收到有关子目标的提示或获得正确的解释作为反馈时表现最佳，但当他们同时收到这两项目标时，则表现最佳。这些发现表明，当学生仅接受补充其知识构造的指导时，对子目标的建设性学习可以进一步改善子目标学习的好处。这种细微差别对于让学生参与建设性学习和自我解释的教育工作者而言非常重要。分配给建构式学习方法的参与者在收到有关子目标的提示或获得正确的解释作为反馈时表现最佳，但当他们同时收到这两项目标时，则表现最佳。这些发现表明，当学生仅接受补充其知识构造的指导时，对子目标的建设性学习可以进一步改善子目标学习的好处。这种细微差别对于让学生参与建设性学习和自我解释的教育工作者而言非常重要。