Linking Task Analysis with Student Learning.

All ex amination of task analysis from several perspectives in order to identify some of its purposes and advantages reveals that, as t're interest in learning, theory has shifted from a Predominately behavioral percpect:I.ve to a more cognitive orientation, the purpose of task analysis has also shifted. Formerly the purpose of task analysis was to aid in instructional design by identifying and classifying component behaviors which could accumulate into a terminal performance. However, cognitive and information processing theorists have not been so interested in the component behaviors as in the cognitive activity that occurs between these behaviors. Thus the emphasis cn task analysis has shifted from behavioral outcomes to the analysis of cognitive processes. Three cognitive approaches to task analysis are (11 the optimal content structure approach, (2) the learner content match approach, and (31 the optimal content presentation approach. Although task analysis has been approached from several perspectives, there is agreement among all the theorists on at least one point: Task analysis, at a minimum, assists the instructor or designer to understand the content to be taught. This alone is a sufficient reason for recommending task analysis. (Author/LLS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** ***********************************************************************