Many researchers have developed models
about learning. Shirley
Alexander considers the the following five categories in
her article, "Teaching
and Learning on the World Wide Web:"
learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge
learning as memorizing and storing information that can
be reproduced
learning as acquiring facts, skills or methods
learning as abstracting meaning or relating parts of
the subject matter to each other and to the real world
learning as interpreting or understanding reality in
a different way
The Orientation, Coaching, Tuning
and Routinization Model
Another model of learning stages proposed by Chan, Lin,
Lin and Kuo (1993) is called the OCTR Model.
OCTR suggests four stages in human learning:
orientation (relating prior knowledge)
coaching (apprenticeship learning)
tuning and routinization (practice with
gradually more student autonomy).
This model emphasises the constructivist view and also assumes knowledge
consists of units and links. The distinction is
made between strong and weak links. The four stages in
learning involve the creation of weak and strong links
between "proper old knowledge" and new material.
The stages in the learning model are qualitatively explained
in cognitive terms through processes of:
connection (weak links are created between old
knowledge and new knowledge)
accretion (knowledge is expanded with many new
weak links created)
articulation (links are strengthened while some
are deleted)
solidification (units and links are strengthened)
An excellent discussion of Learning Theory can be found
in the paper 'Learning
Concepts'.
Chan T, Lin C, Lin S and Kuo H (1993) OCTR: A model
of learning stages. In Brna P, Ohlsson S and Pain H (eds)
Proceedings of AI-ED 93 . Scotland, August 1993. ACCE publication.
