Menu
Education
Global Search

Explicit teaching

Chunking and sequencing learning

Teachers break information into manageable chunks and present it in a logical sequence with frequent opportunities for students to practise.

What is chunking and sequencing learning?

Chunking learning into manageable components reduces demand on students’ working memory. Sequencing those chunks in a logical progression supports students to incorporate new information into their mental model, or schema (AERO 2024).

When learning is new, students have limited capacity to compute more than a few pieces of new information. Teachers select pieces of information to introduce together. Practise allows students to consolidate this learning into a schema in their long-term memory. When it is retrieved from long term memory as a schema it takes up less space in the working memory. Teachers sequence the next pieces of learning to add to the schema. This is how students can learn highly complex concepts (AERO 2022).

This image describes when students are first learning about atoms the teacher presents them with the first few chunks of learning about the concept of an atom. For instance, they are very small, have a nucleus in the centre and electrons orbiting that nucleus. Initially those separate ideas about an atom each take up a space in the working memory. Once students have combined these ideas into a mental model of an atom, that model, or schema, only occupies one space in the working memory. New information about atoms, for example protons and neutrons are in the nucleus, can be added to the free spaces in working memory. As connections in learning are made, these new ideas will be incorporated into the students schema about atoms. This image describes when students are first learning about atoms the teacher presents them with the first few chunks of learning about the concept of an atom. For instance, they are very small, have a nucleus in the centre and electrons orbiting that nucleus. Initially those separate ideas about an atom each take up a space in the working memory. Once students have combined these ideas into a mental model of an atom, that model, or schema, only occupies one space in the working memory. New information about atoms, for example protons and neutrons are in the nucleus, can be added to the free spaces in working memory. As connections in learning are made, these new ideas will be incorporated into the students schema about atoms.
Image: Figure 5 Managing cognitive load by chunking information.

Image adapted from Australian Education Research Organisation Limited (AERO) (2023) Explicit instruction and licensed under CC BY 4.0.

What could it look like in the classroom?

  • Moving on to the next chunk of new information once students have mastered previous learning (AERO 2024) or creating smaller chunks of information to provide increased support for students when required
  • Reducing the complexity of a task by breaking it up into smaller goals, and having students work towards these goals (share success criteria)
  • Using graphic organisers to support students in manipulating and reorganising information.

What it isn’t

  • Using an existing scope and sequence without responding to evidence and data about your students
  • Massed practice
  • Reducing the expectations teachers have for students' learning
  • The teacher relying solely on modelling within the gradual release of responsibility strategy.

Further reading

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2022) Explicit instruction, AERO, accessed 16 April 2024.

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2024) Explicit instruction optimises learning: Implications for policymakers, AERO, accessed 18 April 2024.

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Topics:

  • Explicit teaching

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
Return to top of page Back to top