Imagining Instructions: Mental Practice in Highly Cognitive Domains

Abstract

This article reviews recent empirical investigations of imagination or mental practice in highly cognitive, realistic educational domains such as mathematics or learning computer applications. While mental practice has been a standard tool in training schedules devised by sports psychologists for several decades, with its efficacy studied experimentally in a multitude of sports, there has been little corresponding research in the education or training research literature. Recent research has demonstrated that mental practice can be incorporated effectively when learning non-motor, complex cognitive skills. Experimental studies are reviewed showing ‘imagining’ worked examples, paired with practice questions, enhances learning for more experienced learners, but study activities are more appropriate for students less experienced in a given domain. Interactions of the imagination effect with cognitive load effects are also discussed. Possible directions for mental practice research in education are proposed.