Which term refers to the addition of details that help connect new information to existing knowledge?

Which term refers to the addition of details that help connect new information to existing knowledge?

• A. Elaboration
• B. Mental schemas
• C. Discovery learning
• D. Self-directed learning

Answer: (A)

Elaboration is the process of adding details that connect new information to what you already know. By expanding material with examples, explanations, and relationships to existing knowledge, you create more associations and retrieval cues. This deeper encoding strengthens memory and makes it easier to recall and apply the information in new situations. Mental schemas are the organized knowledge structures you draw on, discovery learning is learning through exploration, and self-directed learning is learning guided by your own goals and planning. These describe related ideas, but the act of linking new content to prior knowledge is accomplished through elaboration.

Elaboration is the process of adding details that connect new information to what you already know. By expanding material with examples, explanations, and relationships to existing knowledge, you create more associations and retrieval cues. This deeper encoding strengthens memory and makes it easier to recall and apply the information in new situations. Mental schemas are the organized knowledge structures you draw on, discovery learning is learning through exploration, and self-directed learning is learning guided by your own goals and planning. These describe related ideas, but the act of linking new content to prior knowledge is accomplished through elaboration.