Learning theory and political socialization

The purpose of this C.A.I. module is to introduce students enrolled in undergraduate courses in political science, sociology, and education to aspects of learning theory that have direct application to a study of political socialization. The interactive module demonstrates how various models representing learning theories can be used to describe the process by which individuals acquire their political behavior. The purpose of this C.A.I. module is to describe learning theory in such a way as to guide students in critically constructing and evaluating their own assumptions concerning the nature of the process of political socialization. Thus, it is felt that these lessons can contribute to a better understanding of the prominent literature that deals with questions considered relevant to a discussion of political socialization. The lessons in the module were written in the Instructional Dialogue Facility (IDF) on a Hewlett-Packard 2000 at the University of Iowa. These lessons call over a dozen BASIC programs specifically written for the module. The lessons allow for self-pacing and freedom of choice concerning the number and type of learning subtasks that the student undertakes at any particular time. The module not only enhances the courses for which they were designed but also adds to the inventory of interactive lessons available to all users of computer assisted instruction.