The model described, which views the learner as a resource-limited system that has to transform instructional information, includes six factors for expected success. Although based on microscopic psychological theories, it can be applied at more macroscopic levels of analysis by increasing the size of instructional units. Five references are…

Examines two conflicting educational theories: constructivism and positivism. Constructivism sees human knowledge of the external environment as constructed and based upon the subjective observer, whereas positivism sees knowledge as fixed for scientific testing. Discusses their implications in the field of instructional development and recommends…

Compares the knowledge content of GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment), a generic instructional knowledge base that facilitates dynamic pedagogical decision making, and PEPE, a computational framework for representing pedagogical knowledge to tailor instruction to an individual student. The courseware's interaction with the student and instructional…

Describes the reconstruction of a conventional thermodynamics curriculum using the Galperin theory of stage-by-stage formation of mental actions and Landa's description of the "through" systematization of knowledge, and discusses the generalizability of the procedures followed in developing the plan for instruction. A 33-item…

Presents the concept of a work model which is a unit of practice within a computer based instructional system allowing replication of both information and interaction. The model also addresses some of the fundamental problems with objectives, e.g., richness of terminal behavior and relation to content. Ten references are listed. (CHC)

Two experiments examined the role of analogy in the development of a situation model of a target passage, specifically, whether an analogous source text could improve comprehension and inferencing about causal mechanisms in the target. Responses of analogy subjects were more likely to include given and inferred information that comprised the…

Describes a case study which used the Agency for Instructional Television instructional development model to develop a television series on economics. Findings show how the model guided the series, its advantages, and its strengths and limitations, and identifies discrepancies between ideal use of instructional development and actual application.…

Findings of a series of studies of teachers and novice instructional designers indicate that prescriptive models of how instructional design should proceed frequently do not match the reality of practice. Appropriate changes in instructional design procedures are suggested. A bibliography of 26 items is included. (CHC)

Describes changes in the instructional designer's role with the development of intelligent computer assisted instruction (ICAI). A shift in decision-making from the design to the implementation phase of instruction is emphasized, as the designer writes rules that allow systems to select methods once instruction has begun. Seventy-nine references…

Discusses French research on the didactics of physical activities/sports. The originality of this research lies in its using a range of approaches, from descriptive and comprehensive to quasiexperimental, and in being firmly anchored in the particularity of the activities investigated. Its aim is to build knowledge that is useful didactically and…

Examines differences between needs assessment (process of determining the gap between what is and what should be) and task analysis (definition and classification of tasks to improve job performance), and discusses the human productivity model NEBEAT (Needs Education and Training Model), which defines competency as synthesis of processes and…

Examines the processes involved in building instructional systems that are based on artificial intelligence and hypermedia technologies. Traditional instructional systems design methodology is discussed; design issues including system architecture and learning strategies are addressed; and a new methodology for building knowledge-based…

Research undertaken in 2000-2001 in one Scottish university shows that most current university teachers' conceptions of and approaches to using the Web for learning and teaching are far removed from the concept of networked learning. If approaches to using the Web are to move closer to definitions of networked learning, teachers' conceptions need…

Examines the origins of school knowledge, and proposes a new tool for analyzing in-class teaching phenomena for different disciplines. Teachers who have mastered the structures of their own discipline's teaching content analyze and compare the contents of other disciplines, thus addressing multidisciplinary teaching problems with a didactic…