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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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."

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