Components of a Psychology of Instruction: Toward a Science of Design

Abstract

It is a well-known historical fact that two major areas of scientific psychology, psychometrics and general experimental psychology, came out of different traditions and have developed in different ways. Psychometrics has become a major technological application of psychology, with primary effort being devoted to practical techniques and less effort to theoretical concerns. In contrast, the experimental psychology of learning and cognition has been almost exclusively a theoretical endeavor, with little effort devoted to application and the design of practical techniques for assisting in the conduct of human affairs. Although practical work has been carried out in educational