Learning by Doing

Roger C. Schank, Tamara R. Berman & Kimberli A. Macpherson

Goals and preconditions. The primary goal of this theory is to foster skill development and the learning of factual information in the context of how it will be used. No preconditions are identified.

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

1. learning to do (skills), not just to know (factual knowledge),
2. learning that occurs in the context of a goal that is relevant, meaningful, and interesting to the student,
3. content knowledge that is learned in the context of relevant tasks closely related to how students will use it outside the learning environment.

Methods. Here are the seven essential components of a goal-based scenario:

1. Goals
   1. Process knowledge goals
   2. Content knowledge goals
   
   
2. Mission
   1. Must be motivational
   2. Must be somewhat realistic
   
   
3. Cover story (background story line)
   1. Must create the need for the mission
   2. Must allow enough opportunities to practice the skills & seek the knowledge
   3. Must be motivating
   
   
4. Role (who the student will play)
   1. Must be one who uses the necessary skills and knowledge
   2. Must be motivating
   
   
5. Scenario operations (activities the student does)
   1. Must be closely related to both the mission and the goals.
   2. Must have decision points with consequences that become evident.
      1. The consequences must indicate progress toward completing the mission.
      2. A negative consequence must be understood as an expectation failure.
   3. Must be plenty of operations for the student to do
      (to spend most of the their time practicing the skills).
   4. Should not require more than what the goals call for.
   
   
6. Resources
   1. Must provide the information the students need to succeed in the mission.
      1. The information must be well organized and readily accessible.
      2. The information is often best provided in the form of stories.
         (so knowledge and skills are indexed properly)
         Stories should be understandable as extensions of stories the student knows.
   
   
7. Feedback
   1. Must be situated, so it is indexed properly as an expectation failure.
   2. Must be just in time, so the student will use it.
   3. Can be given in three ways:
      1. Consequence of actions
      2. Coaches
      3. Domain experts' stories about similar experiences

Major contribution. Provides guidelines for all major aspects of project-based learning. Has proven methods developed through formative research.