Chapter five in the Reigeluth Book:
A Lesson Designed On Instructional Prescriptions From The Structural Learning Theory
By George H. Stevens and Joseph M. Scandura
Scandura: A cognitive theory of learning that led to a theory of instruction intended to accommodate other theories. His focus is on what to teach.
Selection of content—should be taught in the form of higher order rules when possible; testing for mastery and teaching only paths to mastery not yet attained.
[ page 161] …”equivalence classes represent the unique way of operationalizing and identifying the categories of divergence.”
[ page 162] … sequencing prescriptions: teach the most simple path and proceeding to more complex unmastered paths, until the entire rule has been mastered.
Reigeluth notes similarities between Scandura’s sequencing prescription and Landa’s level of elementary operations as well as Gagne’s entry level of skills.
S. L. T., also known as structural learning theory states that all knowledge is represented in terms of rules, i.e., cognitive processes. But structural analysis of content from a body of knowledge is the basis for designing the learning path rules to lesson mastery.
[ page 163] “ …a path, then, is that sequence of atomic rules that results in the satisfaction of an objective to a specific level of difficulty”
Divergence describes the many possible paths a solution rule can take.
