ISD Knowledge Base / The Elaboration Theory

Type of Theory

Instructional-design theory (model). For an explanation of why this is considered a "theory," see the introduction to this Knowledge Base.

Primary contributors

Charles M. Reigeluth
Professor in the Instructional Systems Technology Department, Indiana University.

Reference:

Reigeluth, C.M., (1999). The elaboration theory: Guidance for scope and sequence decisions. In C.M. Reigeluth (ed.), Instructional-design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory, volume ii. (pp. 425-459). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Key Concepts

Elaboration theory (ET) is a model for sequencing and organizing courses of instruction.

Description

 Developed by Charles Reigeluth and associates in the late 1970s (Reigeluth, Merrill, & Wilson, 1978; Reigeluth, Merrill, Wilson, & Spiller, 1979), ET drew heavily upon the cognitive research on instruction available at the time, in particular the work of Bruner, Ausubel, and Norman (Merrill, Wilson, & Kelety, 1981). Since then, Reigeluth has refined the theory by offering detailed procedures for the planning and design of conceptual, procedural, and theoretical instruction.

ET's basic strategies are briefly summarized below.

1.  Organizing structure. Determine a single organizing structure for the course which reflects the course's primary focus. This organizing structure may be one of three types: conceptual, procedural, or theoretical.

2.   Simple-to-complex sequence. Design the course proceeding through the identified structure in a simple to complex fashion, with supporting content added within lessons. Begin with a lesson containing "a few of the most fundamental and representative ideas [taught] at a concrete, application (or skill) level..." (Reigeluth, 1987, p. 248). This first lesson is termed the "epitome"; successive lessons add successive layers of complexity in accordance with the categories of the organizing structure.

What is the epitome? What is elaboration?

3.  Within-lesson sequencing.

• Follow these guidelines according to the type of organizing structure:
• For conceptually organized instruction "present the easiest, most familiar organizing concepts first".
• For procedures, "present the steps in order of their performance".
• For theoretically organized instruction, move from simple to complex.
• Place supporting content immediately after related organizing content.
• Adhere to learning prerequisite relationships in the content.
• Present coordinate concepts simultaneously rather than serially.
• Teach the underlying principle before its associated procedure.

4.  Summarizers are content reviews (presented in rule-example-practice format), at both lesson and unit levels.

5.  Synthesizers are presentation devices—often in diagram form—designed to help the learner integrate content elements into a meaningful whole and assimilate them into prior knowledge. They help make content structure explicit to the student; examples include a concept hierarchy, a procedural flowchart or decision table, or a cause-effect model with nodes and arrows.

6.  Analogies relate the content to learners' prior knowledge. Effective analogies will tend to bear strong resemblance to the content; weak analogies will contain more differences than similarities with the target content.

7.  Cognitive strategy activators. A variety of cues—pictures, diagrams, mnemonics, etc.—can trigger cognitive strategies needed for appropriate processing of material. Reigeluth and Stein (1983) note that these cues for strategy use may be embedded, such as pictures, diagrams, or mnemonics—indirectly "forcing" appropriate processing—or detached, such as directions to "create a mental ‘image' of the process you just learned".

8.  Learner control. Reigeluth and Stein (1983) believe that "instruction generally increases in effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal to the extent that it permits informed learner control by motivated learners (with a few minor exceptions)" (p. 362). Learners are encouraged to exercise control over both content and instructional strategy. Clear labeling and separation of strategy components facilitates effective learner control of those components.

Relevance to ISD

ET has been one of the best-received theoretical innovations in instructional design (ID) in the last 15 years, and is heavily referred to and used by practitioners and researchers.

Educators would choose to use the elaboration theory for guidance in making scope and sequence of instruction decisions, particularly ones that support holistic approaches to learning. Holistic approaches are key for the new paradigm of learning, which includes simulations, apprenticeships, goal-based scenarios, problem-based learning, and situated learning. The theory is flexible enough so that different guidelines can be used for different instructional situations.

The elaboration theory was developed to provide a holistic approach to sequencing that enhances the learning process to be more meaningful and motivational to learners. Also, it was designed to allow the instructional designer to empower the learner to make some scope and sequence decisions during the learning process.