Struggling with a hard problem before being shown the answer is not always the best way to learn; a hint or a worked example can beat floundering.

Canadian writer on learning who taught himself MIT's…

Recalls holdingIf you had asked me this question in the lead up to my 2019 book, Ultralearning, I would have said no. I was a strong advocate for doing hard problem solving and the associated mental effort it requires as a way to learn difficult skills.

Their words nowGetting help, whether it’s in the form of a worked example, a completion problem or just a hint to get you unstuck, can be faster for learning than floundering.