Writing material for educational courses

Principle 7Logic within particular topics

Glenn MartinMarch 2017

Principle 7 Logic within particular topics should be

clear, so that the concepts build progressively, and move from simple to complex, from concrete to abstract/general, from the whole to details, and from the known to the unknown.

The starting point The starting point for content is the

selection of material that will achieve the course’s objectives (knowledge, understanding and skills).

General and specific objectives The general objectives for the course need

to be translated into specific objectives for the topic.

The desired outcomeThe desired outcome is that students can perform at three levels:

1 remember the content2 understand the content3 apply it appropriately in real contexts.

Sequencing of content How do you sequence content? Generally, start with terms, define them to

reinforce their meanings (concepts), describe any facts in relation to the concepts in question, and explain procedures and/or principles which make use of or which support or extend the concepts in question.

Terms → Concepts → Context and facts → Procedures and/or principles

Building hierarchical structures Students need tools to help them build

hierarchical knowledge structures and understand the dynamic relationships between elements. Students develop general schema before moving onto specific details.

Major and minor concepts Analyse each major concept into layers of

minor concepts, and observe a coherent hierarchy as far as possible.

Identify prerequisite knowledge and skills.

Simple and complex material

Consider potential difficulties students may encounter in learning the facts and concepts. Most effort should be given to the most complex material. Simple concepts should be dealt with quickly.

Two general teaching strategies The logical design of the material is related

to the general teaching strategy, which is either a didactic approach or a discovery approach.

Didactic approach The didactic design

gives information to the student, and checks for retention.

Discovery approach The Discovery design follows an

experiential approach, creating the conditions within which students can reach insights on their own.

Examples and general rules

The sequence of material for some types of content may also proceed from a general rule to an example or from examples to a general rule.

Example

Move from known to unknown

A foundation of the known is established so that students can then handle the unknown. Students usually attempt to relate new information to things they already know.