Overview
of Elaboration Theory
Elaboration Theory
is an instructional model that was originally developed by Robert English and
Charles Reigeluth. Under the cognitivism
and pragmatism paradigms, the theory stipulates ideal characteristics needed
for the retention of information. Specifically, elaboration theory “argues that content
to be learned should be organized from simple to complex order, while providing
a meaningful context in which subsequent ideas can be integrated” (Elaboration
Theory, 2016). In other words: learning
goals are best satisfied when teachers instruct students in simpler concepts
before moving on to more difficult concepts and that each subsequent concept
within an academic unit is understood in its relation to other complimentary
concepts.
Classification
of Elaboration Theory
The reason why Elaboration Theory is classified as being derived
from cognitivism and pragmatism is because the theory promotes learning instruction
that emphasizes the connection and sequence of ideas. Originating as an extension of Behaviorist
Theory (which advances the idea that a behavior can be caused by both negative
and positive stimuli), Cognitivist Theory “was concerned with what comes
between stimulus and response, seeking to understand the processes of the mind”
(Harasim, 2010, page 47). Meaning: Cognitivist
Theory was developed to explain what happens during the point in the learning
process when a subject has been stimulated but has yet to respond to that
stimulant. Cognitivist Theory is prescriptive
in that it establishes how educators should instruct. In particular, with regards toward Elaboration
Theory, educators should follow a pragmatic sequence which has students begin
learning simpler concepts that relate to a specific topic and then more complex
concepts as instruction proceeds. Put
another way: “Elaboration Theory relies upon the idea that instruction should
be offered to learners in increasing order of difficulty” (Christopher, 2014). Students are therefore thought to be able to learn
more and with increased ease when being instructed on easier concepts before
more difficult concepts.
Basic
Principles
There
are four basic principles that are entailed by Elaboration Theory. First, the theory stresses a holistic approach
to foster motivation for students and enable them to make meaningful connections
with the information they are presented with.
Each concept is relevant to the overarching theme of an academic unit
and students are able to follow a lesson (or series of lesson) to understand
concepts. Secondly, elaboration
theorists advocate for learners to be able to make an exceeding amount of
decisions on their own with regards to the learning process. Specifically, they are able to direct
themselves, deciding on the sequence of instruction and its scope. The third principle of Elaboration Theory is
that “it is an approach that facilitates rapid protolying in the instructional
development process” (Elaboration Theory, 2016). Alternatively put: students are introduced to
a concept through exposure to the concepts simplest features first and in doing
so, Elaboration Theory accelerates the understanding of students. Finally, the last principle of the theory is
that all components of a lesson are coherently linked in terms of scope and
sequence. All the components of a lesson
make sense with regards to their place within the lesson and with the lesson’s content.
Practical
Application of Instructional Model
To demonstrate the necessity of using Elaboration Theory,
consider any field of study and its foundations. For example, when a person begins to learn
math, they would not start with learning the principles of Set Theory or
cardinal numbers. Instead, they would
learn to count. Subsequently, they would
learn how to add, subtract, divide, multiply, basic algebra, basic geometry, trigonometry,
calculous, and so on. Essentially, you
need to crawl before you can run a marathon.
Another way to put it is by saying that the theory implies
scaffolding. “Instruction is made out of
layers and that each layer of instruction elaborates on previously presented
ideas” (Clark, 2011). Similarly, with
regards to English students must be shown how sentences are formed by learning
what adverbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. are before they write essays. In both cases, instruction is not a random
series of topics either. As shown in the
beginning of the math example, instruction begins with the simple task of
counting and then progresses towards more and more complex mathematical fields. Elaboration Theory therefore can be thought
of as being an instructional methodology which endorses the notion that
effective teaching can be best accomplished when subjects are explored with
their foundational principles examined first and followed-up by more complex particularities.
Reference List
Harasim, L. (2010).
Learning Theory and Online Technologies.
Taylor & Francis Group.
Christopher, P. (2014).
The Quintessential of Elaboration Theory. Elearningindustry.com. Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/elaboration-theory
Elaboration Theory. (2016).
Learningtheories.com. Retrieved
from http://www.learning-theories.com/elaboration-theory-reigeluth.html
Clark, D.R. (2011). Reigeluth’s Elaboration: Theory for
Instructional Design. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/id/elaboration_theory.html
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