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17. Explaining Exemplars (Carroll 1994) – For skills teaching

An exemplar is a model of good practice or worked example. This strategy can be used in almost any subject from mathematics to craft catering. Try it with calculations, written work, exam question answers, case studies, assignments, essays, craft artefacts etc.

  1. Give pairs or small groups of students examples of good practice, and perhaps some examples of bad practice or examples containing a few common errors. They may have the same, or different exemplars.
  2. After examining and discussing it, each group critically appraises the exemplar to the rest of the class. This might focus on the methods used to create the exemplar as well as its quality. They could ‘mark' the work, either informally or against agreed criteria.
  3. Get the students to summarise general statements of good practice.
Exemplars in pairs: This strategy will be explained by example. It could be used with any subject:
  1. Each pair of mathematics students is given the same four worked examples. The examples solve slightly different problems or use slightly different methods, and are correct in each case.
  2. Each individual student takes two of the four worked examples. They study these, and prepare to explain and justify the method to their partner.
  3. Students explain and justify their examples to their partners
  4. Together the pairs agree ‘How to do it' advice.
  5. Class discussion to agree ‘how to do it'.
  6. Students do some similar questions themselves.
You can of course give students worked examples including common errors, and ask them to find these. This works well as a follow up activity. Carroll's Research into teaching algebra suggests that showing students a large number of varied worked examples can work better than the more common strategy of ‘showing them a couple on the board and then getting them to do lots themselves'. This is true even if the amount of time spent doing examples is reduced to make time to look at the worked examples. Low achievers make particularly good achievements. Examples of work with common errors are instructive and good fun. Asking students to examine exemplar essays or assignments immediately after completing one of their own with the same tasks is also very instructive. This strategy is underused, and is particularly helpful for right brain students because it gives students an holistic ‘feel' for the characteristics of good work.