A central argument of this chapter is that there is a common basis for the 
failure of many instructional systems. The claim is that these deficiencies 
in the outcomes of learning are strongly influenced by underlying biases 
and assumptions in the design of instruction that represent the instructional domain and its associated performance demands in an unrealistically 
simplified and well-structured manner. We offer a constructivist theory of 
learning and instruction that emphasizes the real-world complexity and 
ill-structuredness of many knowledge domains. Any effective approach to 
instruction must simultaneously consider several highly intertwined topics, such as:• the constructive nature of understanding; 
• the complex and ill-structured features of many, if not most, knowl-edge domains;• patterns of learning failure; and 
• a theory of learning that addresses known patterns of learning failure.

Cognitive Flexibility, Constructivism, and Hypertext: Random Access Instruction for Advanced Knowledge Acquisition in Ill-Structured Domains

For the past several years the author has been reviewing instructional design theories in an attempt to identify prescriptive principles that are common to the various theries. This paper is a preliminary report of the principles that have been identified by this search. Five first principles are elaborated: (a) Learning is promoted when learners are engaged in solving real-world problems. (b) Learning is promoted when existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge. (c) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is demonstrated to the learner. (d) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is applied by the learner. (e) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is integrated into the learner's world. Representative instructional design theories are briefly examined to illustrate how they include these principles. These include: Star Legacy by the Vanderbilt Learning Technology Center, 4-Mat by McCarthy, instructional episodes by Andre, multiple approaches to understanding by Gardner, collaborative problem solving by Nelson, constructivist learning environments by Jonassen, and learning by doing by Schank. It is concluded that, although they use a wide variety of terms, these theories and models do include fundamentally similar principles.

/pdf/first-principles-of-instruction-55wbugvwji.pdf

First Principles of Instruction

Although cognitive psychology currently represents the mainstream of psychological and educational thinking, it is only recently that much concern has been shown for learning as such — that is, concern for the factors and/or variables that influence changes in human performance, knowledge structures, and/or conceptions. This article examines current thinking about learning within the framework of cognitive psychology and how a new, cognitive conception of learning can guide future research on both learning and instruction. Similarities and, differences between behavioral and cognitive conceptions of learning are discussed, along with issues such as the active (rather than passive) nature of learning, the concern for understanding (i.e., comprehension), the role of prior knowledge, the cumulative nature of most forms of human learning, and the role played by cognitive analyses of performance. Several cognitive theories of learning are presented as examples of how cognitive psychology has influenced researc...

Cognitive Conceptions of Learning

A Study of Thinking

A wide variety of work in social science concerns sequences of events or phenomena. This essay reviews concepts of sequence and methods for analyzing sequences. After a brief definitional discussion, I consider sequence literatures from various areas. I then discuss recent methodologies for sequence analysis. I review stepwise approaches like Markovian and event history analysis as well as whole sequence approaches resting on new developments in biology and other fields.

Sequence analysis: new methods for old ideas

Reviewed are recent studies directly related to the teaching of concepts. The relationship of this educational research work with that in experimental psychology is defined with extended interpretation given to specifying a set of guidelines for design of concept learning environments. A four-step process for concept teaching is proposed from the literature. First, the taxonomical structure of the content should be determined. Second, a concept definition should be prepared in terms of the critical attributes, and examples should be selected on the basis of critical and variable attributes. Third, examples should be arranged in rational sets by appropriate manipulation of the attributes. Fourth, the presentation order of the rational sets should be arranged according to the divergency and difficulty level among examples of the concept. Areas of further research on concept teaching are identified.

The Teaching of Concepts: A Review of Instructional Design Research Literature

/pdf/adaptive-design-strategies-for-selecting-number-and-4j57mpzbgt.pdf

Ok Choon Park

Papers

The Teaching of Concepts: A Review of Instructional Design Research Literature

Adaptive design strategies for selecting number and presentation order of examples in coordinate concept acquisition.

Adaptive Control of Learning Time and Content Sequence in Concept Learning Using Computer-Based Instruction.

Computer-based instructional systems for adaptive education: A review

Computer-based adaptive instructional systems: A review of empirically-based models