Chapter 6: Epistemology and the Designing of Learning Environments

Goal:In depth discussion of the two epistemologies: positivism and relativism, regarding the nature of learning and understanding and their implication for and influence on instructional design.

Epistemological perspectives

Positivism	Relativism
Knowledge exists independent of the learner	Knowledge is constructed by the learner
Reality exists external to the learners	Reality is inferred or assigned by consensus.
There is an absolute truth	Truth is contextual
Positivists design instruction to transmit knowledge and help individuals “learn”	Relativists design instruction to facilitate individuals in making their own meaning.
Learning involves acquisition of external “truths”	Learning involves the individual’s negotiating meaning in an effort to evolve personal understanding.
Behaviorist, Cognitive Perspectives	Constructivist Perspective

Both objectivists and constructivists use systematic design process (for example, ADDIE). Different epistemologies have different psychological frameworks and different implications for instructional design. The underlying epistemological belief influences the design of learning environment.

Grounded design is systematic designing of learning environments with alignment in research and theory, key foundations and assumptions. It is the correspondence between perspectives, frameworks and design practices.

There is a debate whether both perspectives can be right but the authors respects both sets of beliefs about knowledge and both sets of design practices.

There cannot be a midway to both epistemological perspectives. WAIT….is that true?

Also in the story elephant and the 5 blind men….where are you?

Reading

Merrill, M. D., Drake, L., Lacy, Pratt, J.,& the ID2 Research Group at Utah State University (1996, September). Reclaiming instructional design. Educational Technology, 5-7.
Wilson, B. (1996). What is a constructivist learning environment? In B. Wilson (Ed.), Constructivists Learning environments: Case Studies in instructional design. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.