Research supported by the Office of Naval Research, Group Psychology Branch.

Human knowledge consists of schemata based on the specialized procedures used to interpret events in the environment. New schemata are created by modifying models of existing schemata, i.e., learning by analogy. This means that a new situation will be interpreted in accordance with the schema most similar to it in the learner's repertoire. If the…

Elaboration theory is a prescriptive model of instruction which focuses on how to structure and organize subject matter while attempting to be consistent with cognitive theories of human learning. In this system, instruction in the subject matter should proceed sequentially, from the general to the specific, with each part explained and related to…

BECAUSE COURSES IN FRENCH CULTURE SEEM TO BE TOO NARROWLY ORGANIZED AND LIMITED, THEY LACK THE COMPLEX CONTEXT THAT IS PRESENT IN "REAL LIFE." A BETTER WAY TO GET YOUNG AMERICAN STUDENTS TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE FRENCH WAY OF LIFE OR VIEW OF THE WORLD IS THROUGH A STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY FICTION. SPECIFICALLY, THE FRENCH DETECTIVE STORY, WITH A…

An examination of task analysis from several perspectives in order to identify some of its purposes and advantages reveals that, as the interest in learning theory has shifted from a predominately behavioral perspective to a more cognitive orientation, the purpose of task analysis has also shifted. Formerly the purpose of task analysis was to aid…

Lacking a format appropriate for the medium and lacking a breakthrough in learning theory commensurate with its technological advances, educational television is failing to perform effectively in our society's educational system, according to the author. Comparisons to the methods and results of commercial television form the basis of his analysis…

There is a great variety of evidence about human learning which should be considered when forming a policy about any learning situation. The learner himself, the subject he studies, the institution, teaching methods, and studying techniques are all variables of learning; also, each variable can be viewed from several perspectives: behaviorist,…

In order of importance, curriculum, motivation, academic ability, and teaching methods are described in this paper as principles affecting classroom learning that can lead to more effective instruction. Curriculum simply exposes students to appropriate content and subject matter. Educational research should concentrate on the evaluation of…

The focus of this report was the degree of independence of memory attributes in determining performance. A demonstration experiment indicated that memory can carry an associative attribute and a frequency attribute simultaneously with little interaction between the two, that is, they were independent in their influence on performance. The…

An attempt to build a mathematical model of a device that could learn geometry is discussed. The report discusses the background and motivation of the study, the coding problem, the derivation of Suppes "Stimulus-Response Theory of Finite Automata" used in the work in learning theory, and a summary of the technical work. (DB)

This paper attempts to synthesize a variety of instructional models in a way which builds upon the contributions of existing theory, while establishing a focus on the purposes, needs, motives and interests of the learner. A table of seven contemporary models provides brief descriptions and illustrative references. These models are discovery,…

This collection of research reports was first introduced at the 1969 Western Washington State College Symposium on Learning. The main theme of the symposium was the application of learning principles to the classroom. Among the topics included are contingency management, educational technology, the contribution of psychology to education,…