ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a fundamental question, namely what do we mean by learning? It discusses the concept of minimally guided instruction head on. The chapter considers the two main assumptions underlying teaching using minimal guidance. The assumptions include: having learners construct their own solutions to “authentic” problems or acquire complex knowledge in information-rich settings leads to the most effective learning experience and knowledge can best be acquired through experience based on the procedures of the discipline. Long-term memory stores a virtually unlimited amount of knowledge and skills on a more-or-less permanent basis, containing cognitive schemata that incorporate multiple elements of information into a single element. Related to this is cognitive load theory which holds that optimal learning can only occur when instruction is aligned with human cognitive architecture. The chapter concludes that after about 50 years of advocacy for minimally guided instruction, there is no real body of research supporting the approach.
