examplecentric

Examplecentric refers to a design, instructional, or communications approach that centers on concrete examples as the primary vehicle for understanding, exploration, and decision making. In an examplecentric framework, explanations begin with specific cases, followed by patterns and general principles that are abstracted from those cases.

Origin and usage: The term is not part of a formal theory, but it appears in discussions of worked examples, example-based instruction, and exemplification in design and writing. It is applied variably across disciplines, often under different labels.

Applications include classroom teaching, where instructors present worked examples to introduce new concepts; software tutorials and documentation that use step-by-step cases; and content strategies that foreground case studies and real-world scenarios to illustrate principles.

Core principles include concreteness, a sequence from particular to general, diversity and representativeness of examples, retrieval practice, and alignment between examples and intended learning goals or design outcomes.

Benefits include improved transfer of knowledge, better memory for concepts, and increased motivation through relevance. Limitations involve potential overreliance on atypical cases, uneven quality of examples, and higher curation and maintenance costs.

Relation to other ideas: examplecentric aligns with example-based learning and case-based reasoning in some respects, while contrasting with theory-first or abstract-first approaches. It is most effective when used as a complementary strategy within a broader curriculum or product design process.