The School of Education at North Dakota State University has adopted the Reasoned Action Model (RAM) as a conceptual framework to guide and enhance the professional education program. There are six components of this model, which represent the cognitive processes involved in learning and teaching.

Comprehension - prior knowledge and developing understanding of concepts and skills in subject specializations and educational theory and practice.
Transformation - process of using subject matter knowledge and teaching skills learned thorugh coursework and field experiences to develop instructional plans, teaching strategies, and materials to teach others.
Instruction - interactive process of teaching others.
Evaluation - formal and informal assessment of understanding and application of concepts and performance of skills.
Reflection - throughtful self-reflection and analysis by students and instructors of what has been learned.
New Comprehension - new knowledge and skills related to subject specialty and teaching that result from experiencing the above cycle of learning.

Teachers develop comprehensions about their subject specialty and educational practice, which they transform into instructional strategies and teaching materials. They instruct their students and evaluate their understanding of the subject matter through a variety of assessments. They then reflect individually and with their students on the results of the evaluation. Through this process, the teacher and students develop new comprehensions about themselves, the subject area, and the process of teaching and learning.