The role of explanations in learning

This poster session brings together six perspectives on the role of explanations in learning. Each poster presents recent empirical and/or theoretical findings that address how, when or why explaining is beneficial for learning. This session will highlight the similarities and differences among how the term explanation is used in cognitive science, psychology, and science education with the aim of moving the field towards a better understanding of how explanations can support learning. By bringing together these researchers we aim to encourage communication around what constitutes an explanation and how the researchers from different communities are addressing similar issues, such as the nature of teacher's explanations, student's explanations, expert's explanations, and self-explanations and their role in learning.