Matters of Perspective

I will be the first to admit my relatively novice status in the realm of educational theory and instructional design. And, of course, the more I learn, the less I know. However, reading the 2007 posts by Bill Kerr and Karl Kapp regarding learning theory was refreshing, comforting, and encouraging.

• Refreshing because their discussion is accessible, well structured, and less academic;
• Comforting because the struggle over the _ism gap is nothing new … we are still talking about it, and likely will be for years. It’s like an MC Escher sketch. From one point of view, the theories are miles apart; from another they support and build upon each other;
• Encouraging because they reinforce my own thoughts about the role of _isms in education.

I find the tension that fills the space between cognitivism and behaviorism buzzing with possibility. And I certainly don’t think behaviorism has been left on the side of an old country road, while the rest of the _isms cruise merrily along our beloved internet super highway. To continue the metaphor, I believe they all belong in a Prius, zipping down the HOV lane. Or, as Karl Kapp writes:

“What we need to is take the best from each philosophy and use it wisely to create solid educational experiences for our learners.”
- Out and About: Discussion on Educational Schools of Thought

Now, to answer Bill’s question from the preamble to his post: “What do we do about these _isms?”

We need them.

Most importantly, as Bill writes and like Kuhn’s (1996) thoughts on scientific paradigm shift, we have to discuss where we are, where we have been, and where we need to go in order to create necessary revolution. To do that efficiently, we must symbolize, label, and define. We must stake our tents, raise our flags, and fling our arrows until the dust clears and a new camp has formed.

As Huett, Moller, Foshay, and Coleman write:

"It is incumbent upon all professionals with a commitment to the potential of technology in education and training, no matter what their theoretical or ideological bent, to think outside the box, to collaborate and to advance the common vision"

References
Kuhn, T. (1996). The structure of scientific revolutions (3rd ed.). Chicago: The university of Chicago press. (Original work published 1962)
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Coleman, C (2008) The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends 52(5), 63-67.