The Blogger Note

Mixing and matching theories of education and learning theories of instructional technology is not an easy job because there is no clear cut. The principles of each theory are somehow interrelated to some extent. Therefore, learning theories of instructional technology are used as the base for comparison with theories of education in this note.

Systems theory, paralleled with Bartalanffy (1968), is the study of organization and structure of the entire organisms, in other words, studying the wholes and wholeness. The principle of the theory emphasizes that components of events should be identified and their impact should be measured and attempts to clearly state a procedure for describing how real world events interacted. Going from systems approach, principles are translated into teaching where instruction should be prescriptive rather than explanatory, which complies with it complied with principles in Perennialism and Essentialism theories where disciplines and orders are stressed because knowledge is transferred best through systematic and disciplined instructions. Systems approach instruction also focuses on natural order and nationality of world, which conforms the fact that subjects develop students’ rationality in Perennialism theory. System approach believes that technique should be used by education technologist, which lines up with the concept in Reconstructionism theory that technology should be used to facilitate social changes and education needed to reduce gaps in technological advancements and values.

Communications theory, adapted from systems theory, attempts to explain communication, the process of message delivery and emphasizes that components influence communication, in which the Shannon-Weaver model of communication comes in place. The linear model clearly explains the process, where teaching and learning occur in the sender-receiver framework using communication media to create interaction and feedback and communication can only occur in the area of overlap between sender’s and receiver’s experiences, which complies with the principle in Progressivism theory that direct experience is the best way for learning. During the communication process, the sender (teacher) is the one who initiates the communication where the receiver (student) must decode the message into idea through sensory and technological channels, which creates the interaction/feedback between the two entities that permits control over process and chance to correct the message. The teacher role here matches the teacher role in Essentialism theory where teachers are held accountable for education, however, the student role is no longer a pure receiver, which matches the description in the Progressivism theory that instructions should focus on students as learners rather than the content.

Behaviorism is a study about how instructional activity changes students’ behaviors in obvious and measurable ways based on clearly stated objectives. In other words, learning is the acquisition of new behaviors through conditioning. There are two types of conditioning, the classical conditioning (Pavlov) where the behavior becomes a reflex response to stimulus and the operant conditioning (Skinner) where there is reinforcement of the behavior by a reward or a punishment, of which the former increases the likelihood of the behavior recurring while the latter decreases the likelihood of the behavior recurring. The objective of instructions is to generate observable and quantifiable learners actions and hope they achieve mastery learning, which matches Essentialism theory principle that the purpose of instructions should be achieved through regular assignments and testing.

Constructivism, rooted in cognitive theory, views learning as a process in which the learners actively construct and build new ideas and concepts based on current and past knowledge. In other words, learning involved constructing one’s own knowledge from one’s background experiences. Students are also encouraged to explore freely within a given framework taking control in an active and engaged role where teachers acts as facilitators providing authentic environment with authentic assessment. The concept of teacher-student roles is totally the opposite to it is in Perennialism and Essentialism where teachers are held accountable to learning and students were viewed as passive role taking orders. However, it conforms the principle in Progressivism that children should be the focus in the learning process and teachers should play the role to guide the learning. Moreover, the principle that instructions should promote student’s free exploration and let learners build their new ideas and concepts matches the fact curriculum should correspond with students’ interests to stimulate new ideas and inspirations. Furthermore, the idea of brining in real life to instructions in Constructivism theory complies with the fact that cooperation between school and home is encouraged in Progressivism theory

Onto the subject about instructional technologies that fit each theory of education, please see Table 1 for summary. For Perennialism theory, school is the place to cultivate human intellect and a good education involves understanding truth, which is found in great works of civilization. Therefore, books of western civilization should be the main use for the curriculum. As to Essentialism theory, Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge to be transmitted to students in a systematic way, of which school should teach intellectual and moral standards, however, curriculum also focuses on academic subjects as well as on basic skills, arts and science to prepare students to function as members of a civilized society. Therefore, books can be used for instructions. Moreover, visual aids, such as videos, dvds, or even field trips should come into picture to cultivate students’ minds in arts and science. Choices for instructional technologies become interesting and versatile in Progressivism theory because Progressivists believe education should focus on students as learners who should be free to develop naturally and whose interests should be the core of the curriculum. That is to say, students will learn by direct experiences. Therefore, all kinds of tools should be included for instruction, books, hands-on task-based assignments, interactive videos, computers, on line games such as Second Life, where students learn through direct experiences and teachers are playing the guiding role in the learning process. In Reconstructionism theory, education focuses on a curriculum that highlights social reforms where students are prepared for creating a new social order so that global catastrophe can be avoided. In order for students to survive in the new society, education should aim for students to be in controlling of their own destiny with the help of technology. There are various instructional technologies that fit the objectives, computer, internet, online strategic games and second life where students will be able to have a close examination on current social issues and develop internationalism by making connections to people from around the world. What really facilitates the new social changes is the virtual reality technology where new changes can be simulated and experienced, which will definitely prepare students to survive in the new society.

Table 1 Instructional technologies fit the theory
Perennialism Books
Essentialism Books, field trips, visual aids(video, dvds)
Progressivism Books, hands-on task-based assignments, interactive videos, computer,
online games, second life
Reconstructionism Computers, internet, online game, second life, virtual reality technology