He believed that knowledge could be increased when ideas were established and grouped in cognitive structure. This instructional design theory involves what Ausubel termed advanced organizers. The advanced organizers take root in Gestalt psychology, which taught that information is learned by understanding how information fits together, how it interrelates, and how it is organized. Ausubel categorized the organizers as expository and comparative. Expository organizers emphasize new material and consist of general concepts, while comparative organizers are used with material already stored and known.
Information flows from general to specific.
He believed that the instructor should develop and present new information only if it has been previously presented. Therefore, the design of instructional materials should also be organized so that the information flows from the general to specific. The process of designing effective and efficient instruction for learners is an ongoing challenge to educators. The ability to implement predictable learning into an organized framework should be the ultimate goal of educators. When designing instruction, it is important to keep in mind how students acquire, process, and use the knowledge they have learned.