How do learners make sense of what they are learning? In this article, I present a new framework of sense-making based on research investigating the benefits and boundaries of generative learning activities (GLAs). The generative sense-making framework distinguishes among three primary sense-making modes--explaining, visualizing, and…

Explaining after pauses in a video lecture can be an effective learning activity, yet students need support to generate comprehensive explanations. This study tested whether providing students access to the visualizations from the video enhances explanation comprehensiveness and transfer performance. Undergraduates (n = 112) watched a 5-part…