Using worked examples to support problem solving of legal cases in an inductive instructional sequence

Innovations in Education and Teaching International. 2025. Vol. 62. No. 2. P. 527–541.

Costley J., Gorbunova A., Savelyev A., Shcheglova I., Lange C.

One way to reduce the cognitive load students feel during instruc­ tion is to change the way content is delivered. This can be achieved by optimising the instructional sequence and providing sufficient instructional support during problem-solving. However, the litera­ ture is unclear regarding whether an inductive or a deductive instructional sequence is best for processing information. Using an experimental research design, this study compares a problem solving-first inductive sequence to a more traditional direct instruc­ tion-first deductive instructional sequence in legal sciences by introducing worked-examples in the process of legal case-solving. The participants were graduate legal students who were divided into two groups and given either an inductive or deductive instruc­ tional sequence of activities. The results showed that participants in the problem-solving-first inductive sequence performed better in all three dimensions of legal evaluation. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a problem-solving-first inductive sequence on stu­ dents’ ability to process legal cases.

Keywords: problem solving, Worked examples, inductive sequence, Deductive sequence, instructional sequencing

Publication based on the results of: Examining adult learners’ engagement with online learning platforms in the post-COVID world (2023)