The Elaboration Theory: Guidance for Scope and Sequence Decisions

Charles M. Reigeluth

Goals and preconditions. The primary goal of this theory is to help select and sequence content in a way that will optimize attainment of learning goals. It is intended for medium to complex kinds of cognitive and psychomotor learning, but does not currently deal with content that is primarily in the affective domain.

Values. Some of the values upon which this theory is based include:

1. a sequence that is as holistic as possible, to foster meaning-making and motivation,
2. allowing learners to make many scope and sequence decisions on their own, during the learning process,
3. an approach that facilitates rapid prototyping in the instructional development process,
4. the integration of viable approaches to scope and sequence into a coherent design theory.

Methods. Here are the major methods this theory offers:

1. Conceptual elaboration sequence
   1. Use this approach when the goals call for learning many related concepts.
   2. Teach broader, more inclusive concepts before the narrower, more detailed concepts that elaborate upon them.
   3. Use either a topical or a spiral approach to this conceptual elaboration.
   4. Teach "supporting" content (principles, procedures, information, higher-order thinking skills, attitudes, etc.) together with the concepts to which they are most closely related.
   5. Group concepts and their supporting content into "learning episodes" that aren't so large as to make review and synthesis difficult but aren't so small as to break up the flow of the learning process.
   6. Give students some choice as to which concepts to elaborate upon first/next.
   
   
2. Theoretical elaboration sequence
   1. Use this approach when the goals call for learning many related principles.
   2. Teach broader, more inclusive principles before the narrower, more detailed ones that elaborate upon them.
   3. Use either a topical or a spiral approach to this theoretical elaboration.
   4. Teach "supporting" content (concepts, procedures, information, higher-order thinking skills, attitudes, etc.) together with the principles to which they are most closely related.
   5. Group principles and their supporting content into "learning episodes."
   6. Give students some choice as to which principles to elaborate upon first/next.
   
   
3. Simplifying conditions sequence
   1. Use this approach when the goals call for learning a task of at least moderate complexity.
   2. Teach a simpler version of a task (that is still fairly representative of all versions) before teaching progressively more complex versions.
   3. Use either a topical or a spiral approach to this simplifying conditions sequence.
   4. For procedural tasks focus on teaching steps; for heuristic tasks focus on teaching principles; and for combination tasks teach both steps and principles-in accordance with the way experts think about the task.
   5. Teach "supporting" content together with the steps and/or principles to which they are most closely related.
   6. Group steps/principles and their supporting content into "learning episodes."
   7. Give students some choice as to which versions of the task to learn next.

Major contributions. Detailed guidance for designing holistic sequences for several kinds of course content. Guidance for scope and sequence decisions for heuristic tasks, including heuristic task analysis methods.