Not only do you learn the skills, you also learn the epistemic grammar of what it is you are learning. You move from lurker to expert, through the zone of proximal development, from novice to maste

HOMAGO (Hanging Out, Messing Around & Geeking Out) is an experiential learning theory based on research by Mimi Ito on how youth learn in new and social media environments

informal learning

Rapid prototyping is another trend that has had an effect on instructional design practices in recent years. The rapid prototyping process involves quickly developing a prototype prod- uct in the very early stages of an instructional design project and then going through a series of rapid tryout and revision cycles until an accept- able version of the product is produced (Gustaf- son & Branch, 1997a). This design technique has been advocated as a means of producing quality instructional materials in less time than is required when more conventional instructional design techniques are employed. During the 1990s, there was an increasing interest in rapid prototyping among practitioners and theorists in the instructional design field (e.g., Gustafson & Branch, 1997a; Jones & Rich

psychologists used their knowl- edge of evaluation and testing to help assess the skills of trainees and select the individuals who were most likely to benefit from particular train- ing programs. For example, at one point in the war, the failure rate in a particular flight training program was unacceptably high. In order to overcome this problem, psychologists examined the general intellectual, psychomotor and per- ceptual skills of individuals who were able to successfully perform the skills taught in the pro- gram, and then developed tests that measured those traits. These tests were used to screen can- didates for the program, with those individuals who scored poorly being directed into other pro- grams. As a result of using this examination of entry skills as a screening device, the military was able to significantly increase the percentage of personnel who successfully completed the progra