John Bransford gave us the educational paradigm of
anchored instruction. Anchored instruction applies to technology
based learning and was developed by the Cognition and Technology
Group at Vanderbilt (CTGV) under Branford’s supervision.
“The initial focus of the work was on the development of
interactive videodisc tools that encouraged students and teachers to
pose and solve complex, realistic problems. The video materials serve
as anchors for all subsequent learning and instruction...the goal was
to create interesting, realistic contexts that encouraged the active
construction of knowledge by learners. The anchors were stories
rather than lectures and were designed to be explored by students and
teachers.” (online) Closely related to anchored instruction are
situated learning (Lave) and the Cognitive Flexibility Theory (Spiro,
both Lave and Spiro are conspicuously absent from the list).
The principles of anchored instruction are:
This theory would accommodate Geertz (1985)
problem of thickness or Spiro’s idea of an ill-structured
problem. Anchored instruction would give context to these problems,
enabling the learning to understand and solve them more readily.
The primary application of anchored instruction has been to
elementary reading, language arts, and math skills. One of the
earliest activities involving anchored instruction was in the use of
film. Students were asked to examine the film, Young Sherlock
Holmes, in terms of causal connections, motives of the
characters, and authenticity of the settings in order to understand
the nature of life in Victorial England. The film provided an anchor
for an understanding of story-telling and a particular historical
era.
Bransford has written a number of books on learning, problem solving,
technology and human cognition. His most recent book is How people
learn: brain, mind, experience, and school. This book was the product
of a two year project involving a committee of 16 individuals who
evaluated new developments in the science of learning.