In instructional design, there are many different models and theories that researchers and practitioners use to help design and deliver effective learning experiences. One such model is schema theory.
Schema theory is a model that describes how knowledge is represented in people’s brains. According to schema theory, people have cognitive schemas—mental models of the world that help them understand and remember information.
Schema theory is a useful model for instructional design because it explains how people learn and remember information. Cognitive schemas help us understand and remember information by organizing it into categories. For example, schemas may help us remember the different parts of a sentence (subject, verb, object), the different steps in a recipe, or the different parts of a computer system.
Schema theory can be used to help design learning experiences that are more effective for students. For example, if you want students to learn how to use a computer program, you could create a learning experience that uses schema theory to help students understand the program. In this learning experience, you would use cognitive schemas to help students learn how to use the program.
Schema theory is a useful model for instructional design because it explains how people learn and remember information.