THE REEMERGENCE OF LEARNING-THEORY WITHIN INSTRUCTIONAL-RESEARCH

Findings from the cognitive analysis of human performance in various domains are guiding development of instructional programs that aim to produce specified forms of competence. A detailed analysis of the principles, theory, and assumptions about learning and instruction that underlie a representative set of such programs indicates the significant issues in theories of learning that have begun to drive experimental work in instructional psychology. Through discussion of programs for the acquisition of proceduralized knowledge, the development of self-regulatory strategies, and the structuring of knowledge for problem solving, this article suggests that instructional experimentation is of increasing value to the interactive growth of learning theory and its applications. The article concludes by suggesting approaches to future integration of various theories of learning and of conditions that foster the acquisition of knowledge and skill.