1. J. M. Carroll’s Minimalist Theory
By: Alykhan Somani
EDUC 3325

2. Who is J. M. Carroll
He likes to watch football, and also enjoys running, playing the guitar, brewing beer at home, and cooking Indian food
He has done extensive research on the subject of Human Computer Interaction
His name is recognized most as the author of a book titled The Nurnberg Funnel: Designing minimalist instruction for practical computer skill

3. Main idea’s of the Minimalist theory
Reduce the amount of instruction material used
Focus more on the design of activities that can create an environment in which learner-directed activity and accomplishment can take place.

4. Why is this approach better?
Minimalist theory emphasizes the necessity to build upon the learner's experience.
Some people believe instructional theories was too passive and not only failed to utilize previous knowledge of the learner, but also failed to use errors as learning opportunities.

5. How can this be done?
Allow learners to start immediately on meaningful tasks.
Minimize the amount of reading and other passive forms of training by allowing users to fill in the gaps themselves
Make all learning activities self-contained and independent of sequence.
Include error recognition and recovery activities in the instruction

6. For more information
Check out J.M. Carroll’s book The Nurnberg Funnel: Designing minimalist instruction for practical computer skill
Or visit these websites:
Minimalism theory (J. Carroll)
John M. Carroll homepage

7. Final note
"Adult learners are not blank slates; they don't have funnels in their heads; they have little patience for being treated as "don't knows"...New users are always learning computer methods in the context of specific preexisting goals and expectations."

8. Can you guess Which one is Minimalist?B)
Eating one battery
Eating several batteries