Generative learning strategies are intended to improve students’ learning by prompting them to actively make sense of the material to be learned. But are they effective for all students? This review provides an overview of six popular generative learning strategies: concept mapping, explaining, predicting, questioning, testing, and drawing. Its main purpose is to review for what ages the effectiveness of these strategies has been demonstrated and whether there are indications of age-related differences in their effectiveness. The description of each strategy covers (1) how it is supposed to work, (2) the evidence on its effectiveness in different age groups, and (3) if there are age-related differences in its effectiveness. It is found that while all six generative learning strategies reviewed have proven effective for university students, evidence is mixed for younger students. Whereas some strategies (practice testing, predicting) seem to be effective already in lower-elementary-school children, others (drawing, questioning) seem to be largely ineffective until secondary school. The review closes with a call for research on the cognitive and metacognitive prerequisites of generative learning that can explain these differences.

生成式学习策略旨在通过促使学生积极地理解要学习的材料来改善他们的学习。但是它们对所有学生有效吗？这篇综述概述了六种流行的生成学习策略：概念映射，解释，预测，提问，测试和绘图。其主要目的是回顾这些策略在多大年龄下的有效性，以及是否存在与年龄相关的差异性迹象。每个策略的描述涵盖（1）应该如何运作，（2）在不同年龄段的有效性的证据，以及（3）其有效性是否存在与年龄相关的差异。研究发现，虽然所审查的所有六种生成性学习策略都对大学生有效，年轻学生的证据好坏参半。有些策略（练习测试，预测）似乎已经对初中生有效，而其他策略（绘图，提问）在中学之前似乎几乎没有效果。审查结束时呼吁研究可解释这些差异的生成学习的认知和元认知前提。