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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Elaborative interrogation

Overview

  • Influence: Elaborative interrogation
  • Domain: Student Learning Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Meta-cognitive/self-regulated learning
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: These strategies enable learners to commit information and skills to memory. The student reads the fact-to-be-remembered and generates an explanation for it, using questions like Why? and How? to understand the meaning of the information. In combination, practices of elaboration (such as note-taking or forming questions about course material) are often combined with practices of organization (such as outlining or information mapping).

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 1
  • Number of studies: 24
  • Number of students: 15,450
  • Number of effects: 164
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.42
  • Robustness index: 2

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Nature: Science of Learning Hattie & Donoghue Learning strategies: A synthesis and conceptual model 2016 Elaborative Interrogation 24 15,450 164 0.42
TOTAL/AVERAGE 24 15,450 164 0.42
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