THEORY OF LEARNING BY DOING

Proposes a theory of the processes that enable a student to learn while engaged in solving a problem. It gives a microscopic account of learning in a specific situation (the Tower of Hanoi problem) based on a detailed analysis of a single human problem-solving protocol. It proposes general mechanisms, however, that make no specific reference to an individual S or task, and it shows how these interact with specific task information gained during the problem-solving process. The adequacy of the mechanisms for producing the learning is guaranteed by a computer simulation of the process in the form of an adaptive production system. A transcript of the S's (an adult college graduate) complete protocol is appended. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.