Memorizing plans with an app: A case for personalized technology that stimulates cognitive engagement

Planning is an important but difficult self-regulation strategy. Successful implementation of a plan requires that it can be recalled when needed in everyday life. Children in particular are unlikely to internalize plans effectively. Therefore, we developed PROMPT, a planning app for children. We designed three learning activities, including a passive reading activity, an active recall activity, and a generative activity. Children (N = 106, 9-14 years) used PROMPT for 27 days to memorize one plan per day, alternating between these activities. Unexpectedly, neither the active recall activity nor the generative activity was associated with better overall recall than the passive activity. Only children who spent more time on these activities benefited from them, which in turn was predicted by children’s grade level and analogical reasoning ability. Our findings suggest that it depends on children’s prerequisites how effectively they are able or willing to engage in more cognitively demanding learning activities.