Many of our current higher education (HE) learning strategy models intersect at important points. At the same time, these theories also often demonstrate important unique perspectives on student learning within HE. Currently, research with one learning strategy model rarely leads to developments in others, as each group of researchers works in…

Examines elaboration theory of instruction (ETI), a theory that prescribes different patterns of sequencing for different kinds of learning. Presents results of surveying undergraduate students who have undergone ETI sequencing. Results identify the strengths and weaknesses of the instruction and ways of improving it. Student debriefing questions…

Discusses improvisation as a phenomenon. Offers suggestions for a learning sequence. Warns against allowing students to skip levels. Identifies developmental levels of improvisation as exploration, process-oriented, product-oriented, fluid, structural, stylistic, and personal improvisation. Urges that improvisation can and should be a meaningful…

Describes a study of undergraduates studying genetics that compared the effectiveness of a computer simulation used before and after formal instruction. Treatment of the experimental and control groups is explained, and results are reported which support the theory that the effectiveness of the simulation is dependent on the sequence of…

Student attitudes were investigated in an attempt to determine systematic attitudinal differences among various types of instructional control. Ninety-nine undergraduate students from a basic educational media course volunteered for this study. Six interactive video lessons--covering basic technical aspects of 35 millimeter photography--were…

Presents literature review of research studies that focused on students' learning processes and learner control of instruction. Highlights include computer-assisted instruction; information processing strategies; metacognitive skills; adaptive control; branching; sequence of instruction; feedback; learning strategies; locus of control; and…

The purpose of the research was to manipulate two aspects of genetics instruction in order to measure their effects on college, introductory biology students' achievement in genetics. One instructional sequence that was used dealt first with monohybrid autosomal inheritance patterns, then sex-linkage. The alternate sequence was the reverse.…

Discussion of control over sequence of instruction in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) focuses on a follow-up study that examined the effects of the breadth and depth of menus and the meaningfulness of menu category names on the learning and attitudes of college students. Posttests are described, and results are analyzed. (16 references) (LRW)

Outlines innovations associated with development of a learning environment designed around problem-solving/situation-improving strategies for farming and other agricultural systems at Australia's Hawkesbury Agricultural College. The situation at the school is described; observations and reflections are noted; and conceptualizations and actions for…

The implicit assumption behind personal writing assignments given at the beginning of a writing course is that personal essays eliminate the writing apprehension of having nothing to say. However, college freshmen find it very difficult to write about themselves and their own opinions because this writing involves abstract mental processes and…

Discusses research on learner control, pacing, and sequence, and describes a study of undergraduates that was conducted to determine the effects of learner versus program control of pacing and sequence in an interactive video lesson on photography. Results are analyzed, and suggestions for further research are given. (38 references) (LRW)

This annotated bibliography is a compilation of the research on programed instruction conducted in the United States since 1954. The introduction describes the field; looks back over the research and reviews some of its conclusions; answers the question whether students learn from programmed instruction; explains the characteristic variables; and…