I researched how existing instructional sequences named and how they are grouped into categories. My research consisted of these resources:
Online searches using Google, using terms such as "instructional design sequencing"
Well known books on instructional design. I did not research the academic literature.
I used the results of my research as a guide for naming and grouping the sequencing methods on this website.
Grouping of Instructional Sequencing Methods
Most resources that I found did not group sequencing methods into categories. I found one resource that did group sequencing methods: chapter 6 of the book "Designing Effective Instruction" which contains these categories:
Learner related: These are methods such as learner familiarity and interest.
World related: Such as spatial (sequencing by position such as to left to right or top to bottom)
Concept related: These are methods such as sequencing by prerequsites.
[Source for above: Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. J., Morrison, J. R., & Kalman, H. K. Designing Effective Instruction, 6th Edition. John Wiley & Sons].
Because Order of Instruction (OOI) website contains approximately 20 sequences, I found a need to categorize them. The categories are the top level entries (detail sequences, prerequsite solving sequences, repetition sequences, etc.) under Sequencing Methods in the left navigation bar. Like the "Designing Effective Instruction" source, I kept the learner related category (but only included the learner familiarity and interest sequences). I ignored the world related category and did not include the sequences in this category. I did not include a concept category either, but included some of the sequences found here in other OOI categories.
Naming of Instructional Sequencing Methods
In my research, I found little consistency in the naming of the methods instructional sequencing me. For example, concrete-abstract sequencing could also be named example-to-rule sequencing, or inductive sequencing. For this reason, when selecting names for the sequencing methdos on this website, I chose the name I thought would fit the sequence best.
New instructional sequences (and their names)
I created some new instructional sequences, that to my knowledge, do not exist (or are not documented), based on my research. Because I created these sequences, I also had to name them. The sequences are listed below under the categories.
Category: Problem Solving Sequences (under Prerequisite Sequences)
- Application sequence
- Inferred application sequence
- Variation sequence
- Extension sequence
Category: Repetition
- Varied repetition sequence
- Aggregate varied repetition sequence
Category: Other
- Content support sequence
- Exposure sequence
- Isolation sequence