Overview of Sequencing and Chunking

This page provides and overview of sequencing and chunking your content. These activities (and the task analysis, which is mentioned below), are part of the Instructional Design process. Although the web site is primarily a resource for ordering (sequencing) your content, doing so is dependent on first chunking the content.

During chunking, you decompose content into small pieces and assemble these pieces into a content hierarchy that is later presented to the learner. As part of this process, you sequence the pieces in the hierarchy. [Source].

Prior to chunking, you may have conducted a task analysis. If so, you will have likely decomposed, organized, and sequenced at least some of the content that will be put into your content hierarchy. [Source 1] [Source 2]

The content hierarchy

Each level in the content hierarchy contains one or more groups. A group contains a sequence of blocks and/or other groups.

A block is a "chunk" (a small piece of content). The block teaches the learner about a topic or how to perform a task.

In the the Order of Instruction case studies, all blocks contain either a rule or an example:

• Rule: A general idea (such as, the process for adding two numbers containing multiple digits).
• Example: A specific instance of the rule (such as: such as how to add 237 + 429). Two types of examples are:
  • A deductive example is one that is presented after corresponding rule(s).
  • An inductive example is presented without previously present

Content hierarchy example

In the following example, the types of groups in the hierarchy are chapters, modules and sections. Chapters are on level 1, modules are on level 2, sections are on level 3, and blocks are on level 4.

note

The naming of the group types is arbitrary, and depend on the setting in which instruction being delivered. For example, in a classroom setting, modules could be referred to as lessons.

• (Chapter): Operations With Numbers
  • (Module) Counting Two and Three Digit Numbers
    • (Section) Counting from 10 to 20
      • (Block containing rule)
    • (Section) Counting from 20 to 50
      • (Block containing rule)
      • (Block containing exercise)
    • (Section) Counting from 50 to 100
      • (Block containing exercise)
    • (Section) Counting from 100 to 120
  • (Module) Place Value
    • ...
  • (Module) Adding Numbers with Multiple Digits
    • ...
  • (Module) Challenge Adding and Subtracting Binary Numbers with Multiple Digits
    • ...
  • (Module) Challenge: Subtracting Numbers With Multiple Digits
    • ...

This example hierarchy is used in the Operations with Numbers case study.

Sequencing content in the content hierarchy

The modules in the above hierarchy are sequenced using prerequisites The two blocks in the "Counting from 20 to 50" section are also sequenced using a prerequsuite.

Depending on how much content is needed to teach a learning objective, such content can be sequenced as follows.

• One or more content blocks in a group.
• Multiple groups.

In the above example, the module "Counting Two and Three digit Numbers" teaches the objective "Count from 10 to 120".

A learning objective states what the learner will able to do, as a result of learning the material that teaches the objective.

[Source 1] [Source 2]