Research and development strategies designed and implemented at the Wisconsin Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning and the Southwest Regional Laboratory are discussed in papers by the directors of each and by members of the R & D Center staff. These papers further give examples of the research and development activities underway in each organization. Papers on the controlled experiment focus upon its applicability in different settings. The large-scale experiment involving many classes uses the class as the experimental unit, whereas smaller experiments conducted in the newly devised Research and Instructional Units may use the individual as the unit. The steps in developing and refining a prototypic instructional system are clearly outlined in another paper. Finally, the usefulness of formative evaluation procedures in effecting educational improvements are discussed. (Author)