In research comparing note takers and nonnote takers who were learning how to use a camera,
Shrager and Mayer (1989) concluded that note takers with low prior knowledge solved transfer problems better than non-note takers with low prior knowledge.
Barab et al. (1999) also reported that students in the generative activity group performed better in problem solving in a computer-based learning environment. Regarding organizational strategy, Beissner et al.(1993) compared the effects of learner-generated concept maps and serial maps with learner differences at four levels of learning. Their findings showed an interaction between concept vs. semantic maps and serialist or holist learners on the problem-solving questions only, with serialists performing better with semantic maps and holists performing better with concept maps. In a more recent study, Lee and Nelson (2005) compared the effect of learner-generated concept maps and instructor-generated concept maps on problem solving. Research results showed that the learner-generated concept map group outperformed
the instructor-generated map group in well-structured problem solving. They also reported an interaction effect with learners’ prior knowledge: The high prior knowledge group benefited more from the activity of concept map generation than the low prior knowledge group.