Cognitive/information processing psychology and instruction: Reviewing recent theory and practice

With increasing frequency, constructs developed within the field of cognitive/information processing psychology are being employed in the development of instructional theory. This article attempts to organize a broad range of developments in instructional psychology which have this common origin. Particular emphasis is placed on the applicability of constructs such as data structures and procedures. Recent developments in instructional psychology are discussed relative to cognitive task analysis, individual difference variables, and cognitive models of interactive instructional decision-making. Implications for future theory and practice are considered.     

Cognitive task analysis for instructional design: Applications in distance education

The increasing complexity of the subjectmatters taught through distance education calls for a cognitive approach to instructional design. Cognitive task analysis‐based instructional design (CTA‐BID) is especially appropriate for distance education, which requires high‐fidelity instructional materials that teach cognitive content with little or no classroom instruction. CTA‐BID organises instructional materials around the results of a cognitive task analysis that identifies the optimal knowledge structures, mental models, strategies, and skills underlying expertise in the subject matter. CTA‐BID has produced innovative instructional programmes aimed at teaching cognitive skills, accelerating the development of expertise, and improving student performance and training efficiency. This article provides an overview of CTA‐BID and its applications in the design of instructional and testing materials for distance education. I also review recent developments in education, psychology, and instructional design that complement CTA‐BID.     

The cognitive approach to training development: A practitioner's assessment

This article begins this special issue of ETR&D-Development by discussing what the cognitive approach to instructional design (ID) is and how ID practitioners can design training differently using the approach. Following some introductory comments about purpose, scope and perspective, the article is in two parts. The first part describes why the cognitive approach to ID is important and how the current approach to instructional design and training development is different from the cognitive approach. It then explains how learning occurs according to the cognitive point of view, and the different categories of learning according to one type of cognitive psychology. The second part describes a model that synthesizes and summarizes the components of a well-designed lesson, and describes what is different about this model from the current approach to ID. This model relates what learners have to do to learn to what instructional designers have to do to help them do so. It presents and briefly explains and exemplifies a general framework for instructional design based on cognitive psychology. Finally, it presents a table that can be used as a job aid to design training.     

Rapid Prototyping in the Instructional Design Process

Instructional models guide designer activity as they attempt to solve instructional problems. Models provide structure to the project, problem solving strategies, evaluation, and feedback. This paper is designed to examine Rapid Prototyping, a model born in the computer age. Rapid Prototyping embraces computer design strategies, constructivist learning theory, and cognitive psychology. This paper will first look at the “classic” forms of instructional design models, which form the foundation of instructional design. A review of the critical elements of these models will provide the framework to understand the concepts behind the Rapid Prototyping model. Next, this paper will examine how researchers define Rapid Prototyping, how the model is used, whether it is successful, and why some consider it a major shift in the way instruction is designed. By clarifying how RP is structured to solve instructional problems and the processes it uses to produce instructional materials, this paper will strive to determine whether it is a viable alternative to traditional design models.     

Theoretical Frameworks of Performance‐Based Models

The purpose of this article is to highlight theories that support the functions of performance‐based design models and to discuss the implications of integrating divergent models into the system‐oriented human performance technology (HPT) and performance improvement (PI) disciplines. HPT, PI, and instructional systems design (ISD) share a systems framework, along with the influence of common theories such as performance theory, learning theory, adult learning, cognitive psychology, and behavioral psychology (Foshay, Villachica, & Stepich, 2014). This article focuses on the role of theory as a tool in the practitioner's toolbox and as a connection point when working with teams and organizations that have different theoretical orientations. Performance‐based ISD models are discussed, including Robinson and Robinson's (1989) Training for Impact, Brethower and Smalley's (1998) Performance‐Based Instruction, and Bradford and Boler's (2015) Horizon Model. Allen and Sites's (2012) successive approximation model (SAM) retains elements of ADDIE as a process, but the model is iterative rather than systematic in design.     

How geographic maps increase recall of instructional text

This article reviews research on how geographic maps influence the recall of associated text. Drawing on literature from cartography and educational, experimental, and cognitive psychology, the authors describe a model of map-text learning based on dual-coding theory and focused on activities that take place during working memory operations. The instructional implications of the model are explored, and recommendations for instructional applications are given.The authors wish to thank Jenine Doran, Kent Rittschof, Michael Verdi, and three anonymous reviewers for providing insightful comments on earlier drafts of this article.     

乐理教材编排与认知心理学的关联探微

乐理教材内容的编排和选择对于基本乐理的教学以及学科的发展都相当重要.要将诸多知识有机地、系统地构成一个科学的体系.需要从教育学、心理学、哲学和社会学等多个角度进行思考和探索.认知心理学的研究主要集中在个体认知活动的生成与发展上,对于推动教育科学研究有着直接的贡献.本文以童忠良教授的<基本乐理教程>一书为对象,探讨乐理教材的内容选择、编排与认知心理学理论的关联.     

Psychological foundations of instructional design for emerging computer-based instructional technologies: Part I

Computer-based instruction (CBI) has strong historical roots in behavioral psychology. In many cases, behavioral CBI is very effective in meeting instructional needs. Criticisms of CBI, centering around inadequate attention to higher-level learning, underline some of the shortcomings of rigid adherence to behavioral design paradigms. Recent advances in cognitive psychology have revealed alternatives rarely applied outside of experimental settings. Whereas both behavioral and cognitive influences are potentially important, few attempts have been made to extrapolate the contributions of both to the design of CBI. In this article, the contributions of behavioral and cognitive psychology to the design of CBI are reviewed and analyzed.     

Objectivism versus constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm?

Many scholars in the instructional systems field have addressed the paradigm shift in the field of learning psychology and its implications for instructional systems technology (IST). This article analyzes the philosophical assumptions underlying IST and its behavioral and cognitive foundations, each of which is primarily objectivistic, which means that knowing and learning are processes for representing and mirroring reality. The philosophical assumptions of objectivism are then contrasted with constructivism, which holds that knowing is a process of actively interpreting and constructing individual knowledge representations. The implications of constructivism for IST provide a context for asking the reader to consider to what extent our field should consider this philosophical paradigm shift.     

新范式教学设计的共同基础——解读《教学设计的国际观（第1册）：理论·研究·模型》

随着信息时代的到来,国际教学设计领域开始摆脱传统教学系统设计模型“专注于某种心理学取向的教学程序”的困囿,走向整合心理学、技术、文化、测量、评价、管理等多学科的开放的专业领域。《教学设计的国际观（第1册）：理论·研究·模型》汇编了欧美教育、心理、文化,特别是教学设计领域学者的理论与实践著作,从多维视角梳理了教学设计发展的历史沿革,阐述了教学设计的理论基础、研究基础和实践基础。新范式教学设计强调以一种开放的态度来认识关于教学设计的各种理论、基于教学价值和方法论取向批判性地接纳不同研究成果,注重信息技术与教育理念的整合,注重新的评估理念和方法,注重复杂系统视域中的学习环境的建构,注重跨学科研究和跨领域的应用。     

Toward a computational model of tutoring

This article addresses several issues around successful integration of instructional science and computer science. It addresses issues of building computational models of tutoring and incorporating instructional principles into them. The first barrier to overcome in working toward this integration is development of principled programs in which cognitive principles about learning and teaching are realized at a level of granularity consistent with building computational models. Such cognitive studies would facilitate fine-grained modeling of learning and teaching. The second barrier to overcome is the gap between the two disciplines in terms of goals, motivations, literature, and even definitions of concepts. This situation suggests that effort should be concentrated on two areas: research on understanding basic principles behind learning and teaching, and the establishment of clearer lines of communication between instructional and computer scientists. This article addresses both these issues. An earlier version of this article will appear as a chapter in the NATO Workshop volumeFoundations and Frontiers in Instructional Computing Systems, P. Winne and M. Jones, Eds., Springer-Verlag, NY.     

Cognitive Load Theory and Complex Learning: Recent Developments and Future Directions

Traditionally, Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has focused on instructional methods to decrease extraneous cognitive load so that available cognitive resources can be fully devoted to learning. This article strengthens the cognitive base of CLT by linking cognitive processes to the processes used by biological evolution. The article discusses recent developments in CLT related to the current view in instructional design that real-life tasks should be the driving force for complex learning. First, the complexity, or intrinsic cognitive load, of such tasks is often high so that new methods are needed to manage cognitive load. Second, complex learning is a lengthy process requiring learners motivational states and levels of expertise development to be taken into account. Third, this perspective requires more advanced methods to measure expertise and cognitive load so that instruction can be flexibly adapted to individual learners needs. Experimental studies are reviewed to illustrate these recent developments. Guidelines for future research are provided.     

Instructional simulation from a cognitive psychology viewpoint

The advent of the microcomputer has resulted in an increased interest in the design and use of instructional simulations. This type of simulation has the potential to enhance the transfer of learning by teaching complex mental and procedural tasks in an environment that approximates a real-world setting (Reigeluth & Schwartz, 1989). However, the microcomputer-based instructional simulations being produced today are often poorly designed from a psychological standpoint, and the learning environment they provide is ineffective at best. Information concerning how to specify and implement appropriate instructional designs for this type of learning medium is sparse (Alessi, 1988). This article presents implications gleaned from cognitive psychology which are important for the design of micro-computer-based instructional simulations.This work was conducted under work unit 11232515, Unit Level Training Research Applications. The United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon.The author is grateful to D. Andrews, L. Martin, J. Mattoon, C. Gerson, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful insights and comments on earlier drafts of this article.     

Instruction and Cognitive Change in Mathematics

A methodology for studying change during instruction in content-specific cognitive processes is presented. The methodology borrows both from the cognitive mediational approach in instructional effectiveness research and the instructional approach in cognitive psychology research. It is argued that learning from instruction must be understood in terms of the way in which instruction changes the cognitive processes used to solve tasks. The methodology is illustrated by summarizing a project on instructing middle-school students in semantic processes for solving decimal-fraction problems. The benefits of the methodology, such as tracing the effects of instruction on performance change, are discussed.     

多媒体教学设计的心理学基础

多媒体教学成效的保障需以成功的教学设计为必要前提。科学合理的多媒体教学设计应该遵循学生个性心理差异原则,并且以注意这一心理现象为基本设计切入点,紧紧围绕心理学中认知过程、情感过程与意志过程展开基本的教学设计。多媒体教学设计不能走入形式化误区,要结合实际条件,择之有理,用之有度,这也是有效的多媒体教学设计得以实现的前提。     

Learning and Instruction: a review of main research lines during recent decades

Research on learning and instruction focuses on structural and procedural characteristics of guided human learning as well as its internal and external constraints including the embeddedness of human learning into social systems. Instruction (which is in this context just as a synonym for teaching) needs to be aligned with these characteristics of human learning in order to be successful. The following article provides an overview of main research lines on learning and instruction during the recent decades with a special focus on educational psychology and empirical pedagogy. In a first step, the article will outline basic theoretical approaches to teaching and learning. Second, it will analyze the role of learning environments and students’ learning activities within these environments and, third, the role of self-directed learning in such environments. Fourth, the paper will consider the role of media in learning and instruction with a special focus on possibilities to enhance students’ cognitive flexibility. In a fifth step, the article will specify cognitive and developmental constraints of learning and its instructional consequences. Finally, the article will suggest perspectives for further interdisciplinary research in this area.     

Analyzing and Selecting Instructional Strategies and Tactics Originally published in 1991, PIQ 4.2

“Formulation of instructional strategy to match subject matter and learner requirements” is an integral part of most instructional design models (Andrews & Goodson, 1980, p.5). Yet the meaning and purpose of instructional strategies in these design models vary considerably. An instructional strategy in traditional design models usually refers to the selection of instructional delivery vehicles (e.g., lecture, demonstration, computer-assisted instruction) and support activities (e.g., practice exercises, tutoring) (cf. Tracey, Flynn, & Legere, 1970). Contrast those conceptions with the many instructional strategies described in elaboration theory (Reigeluth & Stein, 1983), such as subsumptive sequencing, internally consistent orienting structures, synthesizers, summarizers, and cognitive strategy activators. What is obvious from these disparate conceptions is that instructional designers do not share a consistent definition of instructional strategies. Many of the activities that are referred to as instructional strategies are not in fact strategies, but rather are presentation vehicles. In this article, we first define instructional strategies and tactics in the context of an iterative design model. Instructional strategies are then distinguished from instructional tactics, which are the implementation of strategies. We then list the range of instructional strategies and tactics that implement them. Finally, we provide a decision tree for assisting designers to select appropriate instructional tactics.     

Analyzing and Selecting Instructional Strategies and Tactics

“Formulation of instructional strategy to match subject matter and learner requirements” is an integral part of most instructional design models (Andrews & Goodson, 1980, p.5). Yet the meaning and purpose of instructional strategies in these design models vary considerably. An instructional strategy in traditional design models usually refers to the selection of instructional delivery vehicles (e.g., lecture, demonstration, computer-assisted instruction) and support activities (e.g., practice exercises, tutoring) (cf. Tracey, Flynn, <& Legere, 1970). Contrast those conceptions with the many instructional strategies described in elaboration theory (Reigeluth & Stein, 1983), such as sub-sumptive sequencing, internally consistent orienting structures, synthesizers, summarizers, and cognitive strategy activators. What is obvious from these disparate conceptions is that instructional designers do not share a consistent definition of instructional strategies. Many of the activities that are referred to as instructional strategies are not in fact strategies, but rather are presentation vehicles. In this article, we first define instructional strategies and tactics in the context of an iterative design model. Instructional strategies are then distinguished from instructional tactics, which are the implementation of strategies. We then list the range of instructional strategies and tactics that implement them. Finally, we provide a decision tree for assisting designers to select appropriate instructional tactics.