Information processing theory of learning

Understanding some principles from the information processing theory can help you in your work. Here are some principles to apply:

• There is an implicit relationship between good teaching techniques and the sequence in which the brain processes information.

• For teachers in cross-cultural classrooms, Gagné's instructional events provide an outline and checklist which can help to

  • improve teaching effectiveness, and therefore
  • enhance learner achievement and satisfaction.

Gagné's information processing theory makes the following assumptions:

• It is important to present all the necessary lower-level facts before proceeding to teach at higher levels of the knowledge hierarchy.
• People can reason with higher-level concepts if they have learned all of the prerequisite lower-level information.

• It is important to use teaching steps which correspond to the internal sequence in which the brain processes information.

  See:	Information processing process

• Cognitive theories of learning

See the following portions of online books for more information:

• Cognition and Learning, Information processing theories

• Fact module: Information processing theory of learning
• In overview module: Cognitive theories of learning
• In overview module: Learning theories, by Patricia M. Davis
• In overview module: Learning research, by Patricia M. Davis
• In overview module: Reading and learning research, by Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor) and Leah B. Walter (contributor)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 2 July 1998

© 1999 SIL International