From cognitive theory to instructional practice: Technology and the evolution of anchored instruction

Abstract

This chapter discusses evolution of the thinking of the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt about teaching, learning, assessment, technology, and instructional design under the broad heading of their extended work on the principles and practices of Anchored Instruction. It begins by stating a general set of ideas about the characteristics of powerful learning environments and the instructional design principles that are coupled to them. Then in subsequent sections it illustrates how features of the CTGV's evolving work on Anchored Instruction helped lead to and embody those principles. The subsequent sections begin by describing the earliest work on Anchored Instruction, the development of a set of multimedia instructional materials known as the Adventures of Jasper Woodbury. Later sections then describe work that pushed the ideas of Anchored Instruction in new and important directions that led to development of the SMART model and development of a general inquiry-learning model known as STAR.Legacy. An example of extending the Legacy instructional design model to higher education instructional settings is provided in the context of work in the VaNTH Center on bioengineering and biomedical engineering education. The chapter concludes with thoughts regarding what has been learned over time, challenges that remain in the areas of theory, research and practice, and the role of technology in the larger enterprise of connecting theory, research, and instructional design. © 2008 Springer-Verlag US.