The major purpose of instructional science is to prescribe optimal methods to bring about desired learning, and the purposes of this paper are twofold: (1) to encourage individuals in the discipline to think in terms of contributing to a collegial, or even competitive, building of a common knowledge base in instructional science, and (2) to…

A neuromathematical model of information processing applied to science learning is expanded to include two coefficients representing the motivational state of the learner. The inclusion of these coefficients (which are described) permits modeling of the effects of variations in motivation on the rate and amount of information in learning tasks.…

Tested the generalizability of the specificity model of environmental action to the domain of mastery motivation in infants. Found that the specificity model successfully predicted that aspects of the environment uniquely related to dimensions of mastery motivation, and that infant sex and temperament mediated the relation of environment to…

This paper reviews four categories of models of motivational design, which is an aspect of instructional design that refers specifically to strategies, principles, and processes for making instruction appealing. Grounded in psychological theories of human behavior, the models in the first three categories discussed are based on person-centered…

Motivational design, a major component of the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model that describes how to understand the motivation to learn, is described in this second article of a two-part series. Topics addressed include audience analysis; motivational objectives, measures, and motivational strategy design; and…

This discussion of learning motivation focuses on the four basic concepts of the ARCs Motivation Model: getting learners' attention, showing relevance, building confidence, and generating satisfaction. Strategies for dealing with these concerns are suggested. The second article in this series will deal with the design process. (LRW)

Summarizes strategies and recommendations included in various prominent instructional theories (behaviorism, Gagne and Briggs' events of instruction, component display theory, cognitive research, and Keller's motivational-design) to provide guidelines for designing the practice component of instruction. (MBR)

Describes development of the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model, a method for improving the motivational appeal of instructional materials. Strategies to identify and solve problems with learning motivation are explained, and two case studies are presented that tested the usefulness of the ARCS model in inservice teacher…

This paper describes a model of the influence of personal and environmental factors on students' valuing of two deep-processing strategies for studying expository texts. In the model, task orientation (a form of intrinsic motivation in which learning and understanding are the major goals) interacts with perceptions of the teacher's goals to…