The development of education parallels the growth patterns in technology and science. The three stages of growth in education are characterized by: (1) class teaching, (2) group teaching, and (3) independent study. Stage 1 is teacher-dominated. At stage 2 the instructor is more passive in the control of a group. Stage 3 is the most meaningful because there is student involvement in the learning process and feedback is provided to the instructor. A model such as this can contribute to a rationale for decision-making in education, showing that growth toward a technology of instruction requires a pattern of change and is not just a matter of changing a number of discrete and isolated factors. (Author/DS)