DESCRIPTORS *Instructional Design; *Instructional Improvement; *Instructional Innovation; *Learning Processes; *Learning Theories; Mathematical Models

This research deals with optimizing the instructional process. The approach adopted was to limit consideration to simple learning tasks for which adequate mathematical models could be developed. Optimal or suitable suboptimal instructional strategies were developed for the models. The basic idea was to solve for strategies that either maximize the amount learned in a fixed time period or minimize the time necessary to attain a prescribed level of performance. Once strategies were formulated, experiments were carried out to evaluate their relative efficiency. The program of work involved a mathematical analysis of optimization problems relating to the learning process and also representing a fairly unique method for testing learning theories. In this sense, the project was an attempt to bridge the gap between the psychologist's laboratory experiments in learning theory and the practical problems of divising efficient instructional strategies in the classroom. The optimization strategies developed and tested during the course of the project were fairly restrictive in character and applicable primarily to simple tasks such as those found in initial reading, language arts, and elementary mathematics. An 18-item bibliography and appendixes are included. (Author/MJM).