Suppose you have to create something you have never done before. Maybe you are going to try out a new online teaching method for the first time or create a new type of test. What is one of the first things you are going to do? You will probably look for examples. If there is one powerful way of learning, it is learning from others. We are social animals and programmed to imitate others: it is our natural way of learning. By demonstrating something or sharing examples, you can help a student learn something well. However, imitating something is not that simple. For example, could you immediately drive a car during your first driving lesson, after sitting next to someone who drove for 21 years? Imitating something and translating it into your own context is often difficult enough. You often develop your own (driving) style long after you have obtained your driver's license. The nuance lies in the fact that, as a teacher, you do not want to give students a copy-paste example, but rather use examples from a didactic perspective. For example, show students good and bad examples, let students figure out the steps needed to reach the example, or let students translate examples into their own context. This way, they develop a sense of quality.
Peeters, W. & Maij, D. (2021). 33 Tips voor HBO-Didactiek. Advies uit onderzoek en onderwijs. Amsterdam: Boom.