Page 20 - Making Instruction Work

chap 2 3/11/97 4:44 PM Page 8

8 making instruction work

techniques aimed at modifying not the “can do,”but the “do do”
(sorry about that); techniques that encourage people to do what
they already know how to do. For example, if students already
know how to study but don’t, more instruction on study skills
won’t help.What will help is the management of consequences
that will increase the likelihood that they will do what they
already know how to do.
As you are well aware, people often don’t do what they know
how to do, usually because of one or more of these reasons:

• They don’t know what they are expected to do.
• They don’t have the tools to perform as desired.

• They aren’t given the authority to perform as desired.

• They’re never told how well they’re doing.

• They are punished for performing as desired.

In these instances, remedies other than instruction are
needed; for example:

• information (manuals, policies, notices, etc.);

• authority to perform as desired;

• feedback for present performance;
• tools, space, equipment;

• performance management (arranging the environment so
that desired performance is allowed and rewarded, rather
than punished);

• performance (job) aids;
• task redesign (to simplify the desired performance);