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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Outlining & organizing

Overview

  • Influence: Outlining & organizing
  • Domain: Student Learning Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Learning strategies
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to considerably accelerate
  • Influence Definition: Programs that teach students how to systematically arrange their ideas, tasks, or study materials through tools like outlines, graphic organizers, and planning techniques

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 6
  • Number of studies: 298
  • Number of students: NA
  • Number of effects: 333
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.77
  • Robustness index: 3

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Dissertation Lavery Self-regulated learning for academic success: An evaluation of instructional techniques 2008 Outlining & transforming 89 NA 89 0.85
Educational Research Review Donker, de Boer, Kostons, van Ewijk, & Van der Werf Effectiveness of learning strategy instruction on academic performance: A meta-analysis 2014 Organization Graphics Organizers 32 NA 32 0.81
Educational Research Review Dignath, Buettner, & Langfeldt How can primary school students learn self-regulated learning strategies most effectively?: A meta-analysis on self-regulation training programmes 2008 Organization 50 NA 50 0.75
Australian Journal of Education Purdie & Hattie The Relationship between Study Skills and Learning Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis 1999 Organization 22 NA 22 0.23
Education and Science Kansizoglu The Effect of Graphic Organizers on Language Teaching and Learning Areas: A Meta-Analysis Study 2017 Graphic organizers 70 NA 70 0.90
Conference paper Joo Meta-analysis of research using graphic organizer 2019 Graphic organizers 35 NA 70 0.66
TOTAL/AVERAGE 298 NA 333 0.70
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