The Theory of Elaboration by Charles M. Reigeluth: what it is and what it proposes

There are many theories that have been developed in the field of teaching, always seeking to improve existing methods.

One of the most important today is The elaboration theory of Charles M. Reigeluth. Through these paragraphs we will be able to learn more about this model, what is the methodology it uses and what are the qualities that make it one of the most relevant at the moment.

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What is the Theory of Elaboration of Charles M. Reigeluth?

The elaboration theory of Charles M. Reigeluth is a methodology developed by this American educational researcher. Reigeluth is an eminence in the generation of instructional design theories, that is, the creation of models for the teaching that seek maximum efficiency when it comes to getting students to maximize the learning of new content proposed. It is in this framework that the theory of elaboration is included.

The key to such a theory would be organizing that teaching from the simplest to the most complex assumptions

, therefore increasing the level of demand in a totally progressive way and making it easier for the student to consolidate each phase before facing the next level of complexity. In addition, another of the points that highlights the theory of the elaboration of Charles M. Reigeluth is that at the end of each teaching stage a summary of everything seen so far must be made.

This progressive consolidation in each phase is one of the hallmarks of this methodology. Reviewing all of the above each time one of the lessons is finished is a very powerful system in order to fix the contents in the mind of the learner, since allows you to establish associations of concepts and achieve that gradual learning that this method seeks.

Another of the qualities that the theory of the elaboration of Charles M. Reigeluth highlights is to use the power of the real context or examples when teaching the strategies, so that they are not mere empty concepts, because when counting With a specific scenario on which to apply said teachings, the student will find it much easier to assimilate the new information and make this knowledge durable.

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Components of the theory of elaboration

The elaboration theory of Charles M. Reigeluth It is planned to be carried out thanks to seven fundamental components that must always be present if we want to take advantage of the full potential of this methodology. and thus achieve the best possible results when teaching students through it. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

1. elaborative sequence

The concepts and strategies that are going to be taught must be developed through a sequence. In addition, we already saw at the beginning that said sequence has to be designed in such a way that it starts with the most basic elements and these gradually become increasingly complex. It is the main characteristic of the theory of the elaboration of Charles M. Reigeluth.

2. Previous requirements

This sequencing establishes some prerequisites before beginning each new phase of learning that refer to the consolidation of a stage before being able to start the next. In this sense, if we are using the elaboration theory to teach concepts that are divided into five stages, we will not be able to go to two until one has been learned correctly, nor to three until the same has been done with two, and so on. successively.

3. Summary

We also saw in the previous point that one of the characteristics that define the elaboration theory of Charles M. Reigeluth is the establishment of summaries that are located at the end of each phase. Each summary must include not only the concepts developed in the finished level, but also those of all the previous ones, so that they are cumulative.

That is to say, each stage that we start and finish will include a summary of everything that has been seen up to that moment, a fantastic mechanism to ensure that the student does not forget any of the teachings that we have imparted previously, since the objective is to consolidate all the knowledge.

4. Synthesis

Likewise, and since we are seeing that the concepts are cumulative, it is important to be good at synthesizing the material seen. until then, otherwise we run the risk of needing too much time to revisit content that, once seen, can be condensed into their most basic components without having to repeat everything from the beginning. Therefore, the synthesis will be another of the components of the theory of the elaboration of Charles M. Reigeluth.

5. analogies

As important as using summaries is establishing analogies and examples so that the learner can visualize the theoretical concepts that we are putting on the table in a more realistic. These analogies will help you create a mental image that, in collaboration with the theoretical explanation, will facilitate the learning of the entire block of knowledge. that we are sending you.

6. cognitive strategies

In order to facilitate learning, the elaboration theory of Charles M. Reigeluth indicates that the instructor or teacher can make use of different cognitive strategies, adapting to the characteristics of the student, so that the concepts are assimilated in the most efficient way. These cognitive strategies refer to the different ways in which we can use our intellectual abilities to achieve learning.

7. student control

The last of the points that make up the characteristics of the theory of the elaboration of Charles M. Reigeluth is the control of the student. This control is given by all the points that we have been seeing in the list, since the set of all of them allow the apprentice to have the certainty of being able to generate the appropriate learning in any phase, returning to it if necessary and taking advantage of the resources at your disposal.

In this way, the person ensures that they can understand the level they are studying without being forced to move on to the next one prematurely. The idea is to provide all the facilities so that the current phase is properly consolidated, without leaving gaps in this learning process that gradually reduce the effectiveness of the methodology in question. It is what guarantees the correct functioning of this strategy.

The author of this methodology

The creation of the theory of elaboration by Charles M. Reigeluth, as well as others that this author developed within the field of instructional design theories, represented a great leap in the field of education, especially in the US. Charles Reigeluth modeled himself primarily through a four-volume series called Theories and Models of Instructional Design.

They detail the production theory itself but also other very important ones such as the simulation theory. Reigleluth has devoted two decades of research in this field to fight for the reinvention of methodologies traditionally employed in American schools. This purpose is also reflected in two of his main books, Reinventing Schools: It's Time to Break the Mold and Vision and Action: Reinventing Schools Through Individualized Education Based on skills.

Charles Reigeluth was able to carry out formative research, that is, directly applying his methodologies in the field and thus discover what his potential was. him real and know the specific situations that favored or hindered learning, thus obtaining very valuable information with a view to being able to polish their Models.

He also investigated in depth about the technological requirements that student-centered methodologies (such as the ones he proposed) needed. Thanks to his studies with Indiana University he verified that there were four main issues that required the use of technology.

The first of these would be to be able to keep the necessary records for learning. The second would consist of everything related to the establishment of the goals that have been previously planned. Next would come the instruction of the program itself. And it would end with the evaluation through which the level of effectiveness of the program would be verified, verifying if the student has correctly acquired the proposed contents or, on the contrary, it is necessary to return to them to consolidate them.

It is clear that the theory of the elaboration of Charles M. Reigeluth is only part of a lifetime dedicated to improving educational models.

Bibliographic references:

• Reigeluth, C.M. (1992). Elaborating the elaboration theory. Educational Technology Research and Development. Springer.
• Reigeluth, C.M. (1979). In search of a better way to organize instruction: The elaboration theory. Journal of instructional Development. JSTOR.
• Reigeluth, C.M. (2018). Lesson blueprints based on the elaboration theory of instruction. Instructional theories in action. Routledge.
• Reigeluth, C.M., Merrill, M.D., Wilson, B.G., Spiller, R.T. (1980). The elaboration theory of instruction: A model for sequencing and synthesizing instruction. Instructional science. Springer.