Which of the following strategies assists students in distinguishing between old and new information?

The strategy that assists students in distinguishing between old and new information is concept mapping. This technique involves creating a visual representation of information that helps learners organize and relate concepts to one another. By visually mapping out their existing knowledge (old information) alongside new information, students can clearly see connections, differences, and the hierarchical structure of the information being learned. This aids in comprehension and retention, as it encourages a more active engagement with the material, facilitating the integration of new knowledge with prior understanding.

While strategic instruction is valuable for teaching planning and goal-oriented approaches, it does not specifically focus on the differentiation between old and new information like concept mapping does. Direct instruction primarily involves explicit teaching methods but may not inherently encourage the discernment of existing knowledge in relation to new concepts. Peer tutoring provides supportive learning through collaboration but does not directly address the individual student's need to identify the relationship between what they already know and what they are learning.