The Elaboration Theory of Instruction is an alternative to organizing instruction in terms of a hierarchical task analysis. The hierarchical organization results in an instructional sequence that begins with highly fragmented, small pieces of the subject-matter content, which many educators have found to be demotivating. The elaboration theory…

The course design project was initiated for two reasons: (1) to discover why training courses generally are not designed or improved in accordance with seemingly obvious principles, and (2) to develop a systematic approach to course design that would result in the application of such principles. The major changes to be found in this revision…

This study examined influences upon experienced teachers' course planning. Seven teachers were each intensively interviewed four times about their planning for courses they had never before taught; the interviews took place before, after, and twice during the semester of the "new" course in question. Findings were classified into three categories…

A quality control model is proposed to facilitate development of effective instructional programs. The theories of R. M. Gagne and of M. D. Merrill provide the foundations for a theory of sequencing behavior into a hierarchical order in order to improve the learning potential of an instructional program. The initial step in the procedural model is…