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A Usenet reader asked me to explain my cryptic reference to the schema
theory of learning. I figure there's probably far more knowledgeable
people on the list than me, so could someone address this?
Basically all I know about it is what I said in my post: give people a
structure on which to hang new knowledge--that is, help people figure
out how to relate new knowledge to what they already know. One
application of this is to give readers a bare structure of what you're
going to teach them, where you're starting and where you expect to end
up, and then they have a place (or context) to put the new information
you give them.
I learned about this concept in a (gasp!) college class, and it made so
much sense I've stuck with it. I'd be interested to hear what other
people think about it--and, of course, a better definition than I've
provided. Is it universally accepted, or are there disbelievers (and if
so why).
The Usenet reader and I thank all in advance...
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