ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we examine some of the contributions of cognitive psychology to instruction by focusing on two aspects of performance that are acquired through learning and experience: (1) well-organized knowledge structures, and (2) the self-regulatory aspects of proficient performance. It is the transformation from novice to competent performance that concerns us here. We address some of the work on expert-novice comparisons, and related research, to illustrate current positions on what is learned in cognitive skill acquisition. We also suggest that much of the progression from novice to expert state involves mechanisms similar to those being uncovered in developmental research, and incorporate some of this research into our discussion.
