Explain why "times 1000" from kilogram to gram: Controlled trial on learning to explain in two digital environments with different topic focus

Learning to explain procedures (e.g., convert kilogram into gram) has topic-independent discursive components (general readiness to articulate ideas) and topic-specific conceptual components (understanding this procedure). To study if topic-specific components need to be explicitly treated, we conduct a controlled trial with n = 282 fifth graders and compare the effects of two digital teaching-learning environments on topics of mass measurement: The topic-specific environment on the mass unit conversion procedure yielded a medium intra-group effect size (d = 0.73) on explaining why the conversion works. Meanwhile, the environment on applying and explaining estimation

strategies yields a small transfer effect (d = 0.14) on explaining non-treated conversion procedures. Thus, explaining can only slightly be fostered topic-independently.