[Session 10] Three Major Trends in Learning Psychology (4) Eclecticism: The learning sciences and design experiment approach
- Introduction -

 Is eclecticism a philosophy of having no specific philosophy?

 We have studied three major trends in learning psychology: Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism. It is probable that conducting research or practical implementation based on a certain camp rejects or criticizes another camp. Actually, there have often been conflicts between camps. It is natural that researchers cannot accept other viewpoints since the premise is different. The more they get involved in a certain viewpoint, the more they tend to reject others since attacking is the best way to protect their own idea.

 Since educational technology specialists or instructional designers put an emphasis on better educational practices, philosophies do not matter. In other words, they are "inattentive" to philosophies. When instructional designers obtain a research outcome which learning psychologists have achieved after a day-to-day effort, they are ready to use it in an educational setting on the following day in order to examine its usefulness. They put the solution of immediate problems before the search for everlasting truth. Instructional designers' attitudes toward research and practice are like the decision-oriented attitude of engineering in contrast with the conclusion-oriented attitude of science, which corresponds to that of a psychologist (although this is putting it in rather stereotypical language).

 Eclecticism means an approach of using any findings which seem useful in order to solve problems. In other words, eclecticists do not stick to a specific philosophy but "use whatever they can use without inhibition." Such an attitude might be one of the reasons why educational technologists are sometimes (or occasionally) considered to lack "dignity" as scholars. They can also be regarded "realists" who prefer what is useful to what looks good.

 In Session 10, Learning Sciences is introduced, which is a new trend of learning psychology. Learning psychology has progressed to Learning Sciences through the stage of cognitive science. It is interesting that Learning Sciences is somewhat decision-oriented as seen in the fields of technology. The way to pursue research in Learning Sciences is called the "design experiment approach." First, let's learn this approach and exchange opinions as to what conditions are necessary to make psychology useful for instruction in the educational settings.