• The learner possesses a "human cognitive system" with an internal knowledge base "inside the head" and access to an external knowledge base in the world "outside the head." The learner has a working, or short term memory in which processing skills such as language are used to move information in and out of both the internal and external knowledge bases.
  
  
• Learning is information processing whereby the learner actively seeks out information used in constructing a meaningful interpretation of the world and a knowledge base comprised of these interpretations.
  
  
• A developmental perspective Of literacy emphasizing the development of oral language from earlier prelinguistic knowledge and literacy as the amalgam of prelinguistic, linguistic and graphic symbolic knowledge.
  
  
• The importance to context in learning new information and in transferring information already learned to new and different problems and situations.

The application of this theoretical framework to the instructional development process suggests creating courses that facilitate learning on entry into the course, learning throughout the course, and transfer into the contexts for which the learning is meant to apply. To accomplish these objectives, courses should be developed that:

• Explain what the students are to learn and why in such a way that they can always understand both the immediate and long term usefulness of the course content (facilitates entry into the course; motivates learning).
  
  
• Consider the old knowledge that students bring with them to the course, and build new knowledge on the basis of this old knowledge (facilitates entry learning)
  
  
• Sequence each new lesson so that it builds on prior knowledge gained in the previous lessons (facilitates in-course learning).
  
  
• Integrate instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and problem solving into academic or technical training programs as the content of the course poses requirements for information processing using these skills that many potential students may not possess; avoid decontextualized basic skills "remedial" programs (facilitates incourse learning; motivates basic skills Learning; reduces instruction time; develops "learning to learn" ability ).
  
  
• Derive objectives from careful analysis of the explicit and tacit knowledge and skill needed in the home, community, academic, technical training, or employment context for which the learner is preparing (facilitates transfer).
  
  
• Use, to the extent possible, reaming contexts, tasks, materials, and procedures taken from the future situation in which the reamer will be functioning (facilitates transfer).