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

Summarizing

Overview

  • Influence: Summarizing
  • Domain: Student Learning Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Learning strategies
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: Summarizing refers to the skill of condensing information from a text, lesson, or discussion into a shorter form by identifying and articulating the main ideas and key details

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 3
  • Number of studies: 438
  • Number of students: 73,770
  • Number of effects: 611
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.41
  • Robustness index: 4

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 Summarization 234 1,914 234 0.44
Educational Research Review Fong & Krou LASSI's great adventure: A meta-analysis of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory and academic outcomes 2021 Main Ideas 181 71,856 268 0.31
Remedial and Special Education Stevens, Park & Vaughn A review of summarizing and main idea interventions for struggling readers in grades 3 through 12: 1978–2016 2019 Summarizing and main idea 23 NA 109 0.97
TOTAL/AVERAGE 438 73,770 611 0.57
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