(from P.A.Wozniak, Economics of Learning)
Minimum information principle is the most obvious consequence of the approach based on minimum complexity of synaptic patterns. In order to keep the memory image of items simple, items should be simple themselves.
Let us consider the shortcomings of competitive markets such as unequal distribution of income, imposition of production costs on the public, development of socially undesirable products, product proliferation, etc. The minimum information principles says that the question "What are the shortcomings of competitive markets?" cannot be accepted because of the complexity of the answer. In such situations, solution comes from narrowing the focus of the question; the approach which often requires additional terminology and knowledge structuring, and is generally more demanding for the knowledge system developer. A typical question with a narrower focus might sound as follows:
Q: What problem with distribution of income appears on a competitive market?
A: income is concentrated in the hands of few
or,
Q: What is an example of imposing production costs on people who do not consume in competitive markets?
A: environmental pollution
The set of specific questions as those presented above produce a very high level of knowledge retention; however, the question arises if it is equivalent with the student’s being able to pinpoint the most important shortcomings of competitive markets. The experience shows that a number of items that would glue the above granules in a coherent entirety is necessary. This can conveniently be accomplished by means of Cloze deletions discussed later in the chapter. For example:
Q: The main shortcomings of competitive markets are:
- redistribution of income (the haves & have-nots)
- imposition of production costs (pollution)
- ... (illicit drugs)
- product proliferation (standardization issues)
A: socially undesirable products
The examples associated with particular shortcomings of competitive markets presented above serve as a vivid enhancement and comprehension booster, but their main function is to make it easier to track the missing clause. After all, as it will be shown later, enumerations are one of the trickiest obstacles to overcome in complying with the minimum information principle. The presented Cloze deletion serves as: (1) tool for mastering the terminology related to the discussed shortcomings, while the conceptual answer is indeed strongly suggested by examples accompanying the enumerations, (2) graphic skeleton for hooking up pieces of knowledge acquired by narrow-focus questions as presented earlier.
A yet more complex knowledge structure appears in the analysis of tax revenues in an attempt to plot the Laffer curve for European countries in the years 1975-1982. Upon the analysis, on the two ends of the spectrum, notable examples of two countries are worth considering: Sweden and Spain. The former, with the average tax rate of 49% showed 12% decline in tax revenue, while the latter with the average tax rate of 23% experienced a remarkable increase in tax revenues of 60%. Naturally, a single item cramming all the above facts has little chance of passing the minimum information criterion. Consider then the following items intended to ensure the student’s recall the facts related to tax rate vs tax revenue relationship:
Q: What was the average tax rate in Spain 1975-1982?
A: 23%
and
Q: What was the change in the tax revenue in Spain 1975-1982?
A: 60% increase
Unfortunately, similar questions asked for Sweden do not form a coherent memory image that would allow the student recall the entire collection of information pieces that make up the understanding of the relationship illustrated by the Laffer curve. Naturally, the understanding does not need examples. The theoretical implications of marginal tax revenue might be considered as a sufficient element of understanding; however, the usefulness of facts illustrating the theory has long been appreciated in education; I will therefore present for consideration an exemplary set of items acting as an associative glue for the discussed tax revenue case:
Q: In the years 1975-1982, the average tax rate and the tax revenue in Spain and Sweden were as follows:
Spain: ...% and 60% (respectively)
Sweden: 49% and -12% (respectively)
A: 23
and in a similar way:
Q: In the years 1975-1982, the average tax rate and the tax revenue in Spain and Sweden were as follows:
...: 23% and 60% (respectively)
Sweden: 49% and -12% (respectively)
A: Spain, etc., etc.
Items formulated in the above way appeared to produce very coherent memory engrams that showed above average retention rate despite the inherent intractability of numeric responses (as in the first of the two presented examples).