Systems thinking is the ability to reason about biological systems in terms of their characteristics and can assist students in developing a coherent understanding of biology. Literature reports about several recommendations regarding teaching systems thinking, while it seems that systems thinking has not reached classroom practice. The main aim…

A series of five papers is presented here in an effort to relate the problems of instructional technology to insights and evidence from the behavioral sciences. One paper describes the application of present knowledge and empirical methodology, in the form of the systems approach, to the solution of particular behavioral problems. A second paper…

Discusses various ways in which context may be interpreted to enhance learning and performance; illustrates domains of learning using a hockey team as an example; and suggests implications for learning, performance, and instructional design. Highlights include an ecological systems model; and examples of individual development, team learning, and…

One procedure that can be used to individualize instruction is to teach different pupils by different methods with the intent of reaching a common goal. A cybernetic (self correcting) procedure is proposed for manipulating instructional displays so that after a period of time the instructional procedure used is optimal for a given individual. This…

An analysis of the historical roots of educational technology is followed by discussions of concerns for instructional design and media selection, systematic approaches to instruction, and the future uses of technology for the delivery of instruction and information. The development and growth of the field are explored, future applications of…

Several problems in teaching science to the urban child are identified. A systems approach to develop a meaningful science education program for these students is suggested. The proposed systems model of the educational sciences is presented and discussed. The author was the director of the Urban Adult Education Institute in Detroit. (LC)

This glossary offers definitions of almost 600 terms normally associated with the field of educational technology in brief and easy-to-understand form, all in Spanish (a Portugese version exists). The terms are organized into six major areas: learning, communications, instructional design, evaluation, media production, and systems theory. (Author)

This theoretical model for message design directs the designer to design a block of time that optimizes the information load and message complexity within the constraints of the receiver's abilities and experience, the requirements of the source, and the capabilities and limitations of the medium. (Author/JEG)

The relationship between instruction and instructional design is explored. The aim of instruction is to assist the individual as learner. The Learner, the Content, the Media, the Teacher Function, and the Context within which learning is to occur interact during a period of time to form an instructional episode (the CMT paradigm). Considering all…

A project to determine the level of development complexity necessary to produce cost-effective instruction is described. The project is designed to investigate alternative levels of instructional development complexity, how these different levels affect spending, varying degrees of student achievement associated with each level, and the time…

A step-by-step exposition is presented of the manner in which the systematic application of the principles of instructional design can lead to sequential learning. Following an introduction to systematic instructional design, the second and third chapters of the book discuss a systems model of the classroom and the setting of objectives for…

Instructional task variables of analytical explanation and sequence were studied in two experiments to assess the systems approach proposition of efficiency and effectiveness in concept learning. The independent variable of analytical explanation consisted of two components: a procedure for focusing the subject's attention on the critical…

The development of a single value revision indicator which would utilize learner performance data obtained from a pretest-posttest design to rank a set of instructional modules as to their relative need for revision is discussed. A set of procedures was developed in connection with the implementation of the Production, Implementation, Evaluation,…

Teachers need a framework for decision-making; this book supplies criteria against which they can weigh choices about alternative courses of action and encourages systematic instructional design by encouraging them to think about the overall educational effort. The underlying assumptions are that teachers overteach, that poor organization by the…