Elaboration TheoryA. Michalecki

Elaboration Theory (ET)

-Model for sequencing and organizing courses of instruction.

-Instruction should be organized from simple to more complex ideas

-Should provide a meaningful context to which the ideas can be integrated.

Math Question:

$8880 is 6% of what?

Simple Ideas:-What is Percent?

per 100 ex. 6%= 6/100

-How do we calculate percent?Amount = 6 Total amount 100

Increase complexity-Review simpler percent questions such as the following example, increase complexity.Ex. If there are 8 blue marbles in a bag of 20 marbles what percent of the marble are blue?8/20= 40%

-Back to original problem: Rewrite what this question is asking as a ratio8880 = 6 a 100

-Solve 8880(100)=6aA=146667

Answer: 6% of $146667 is $8880

Provide Meaning ContextOriginal Question: $8880 is 6% of what?Provide context: A real estate agent received a 6% commission on the selling price of a house. If his commission was $8,880, what was the selling price of the house?

Explain now that we found the answer as $146667 is the total amount of a house, if the real estate agent made 6% commission of $8880

When this theory is not useful

This theory would not work very well in the case where there is no real life context you can use. Or when there is no background information to expand on, for example if it is just a basic standard skill.

Example:Definitions of such things as a derivative

Theories that will work for Math

-Cognitivist: People are rational beings that require active participation to learn

Ex. In Math students need to practice math questions in order to learn how to do them. The teacher can show them how to solve a problem, but its threw practicing on their own and being “an active participant” that they can learn

-Constructivism: The learner is the information constructor. New information is linked to prior knowledge. Ex. Students are taught math skills by teachers, but threw word problems which require math skills students have to teach themselves how to solve them.

-Design Theories and Models: attempts to bridge learning and practice in education. Can be used in teaching students things they need to learn for their life, for example when it comes to buying a car, taking out a loan, calculating interest, or loan payments.

-Activity Theory: Object oriented; integrated system based on internalization/externalization, mediation, and development

-Multiple Intelligences: 7 ways people learn and understand described as 7 intelligences Caters only to students with specific interests/learning styles, since math/logical is one of the types of intelligences, the subject will always cater to the students with this type of intelligence.

Theories that will not work for Math-Behaviourism: Based on the idea people respond and learn according to and from “stimulus-response” so from outside influences.

Ex. classical conditioning, operant conditioning.

-Motivational and Humanist Theories: an approach that believes learning is viewed as a personal act to fulfil one’s potential

This is more of a motivation strategy to engage students and motivate them, this is not really a method useful for teaching math.