Emotional Parentification
Published January 22, 2025Emotional Parentification (Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy, 1960s) – expecting a child to deal with issues that likely exceed their emotional maturity and/or a reversal of the roles of parent and child
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Deep Work
Published January 22, 2025Deep Work (Cal Newport, 2010s) – focused, distraction-free work that pushes thinking abilities to their limit, producing valuable results efficiently. Deep Work contrasts with shallow, fragmented tasks and is essential for mastering complex skills and achieving high productivity in a world full of constant distractions
Deep Concentration (Focused Attention; State of Flow)
Published January 22, 2025Deep Concentration (Focused Attention; State of Flow) — the mental state associated with being fully immersed in, focused on, and absorbed by a particular activity
More Knowledgeable Other
Published January 22, 2025More Knowledgeable Other (Lev Vygotsky, 1930s) – a person (or source) who has a higher level of knowledge or expertise in a particular area and can provide guidance, support, or assistance to someone who is still in the process of learning
Ignorance Matrix
Published January 22, 2025Ignorance Matrix (David Kerwin, 1990s) – a framework for categorizing different types of knowledge gaps, helping people understand the nature of ignorance and how it impacts learning, research, and problem-solving. For categories are posited.
Pomodoro Technique
Published January 22, 2025Pomodoro Technique (Francesco Cirillo, 1980s) – a time-management technique that is often represented as a type of Distributed Practice. Named after the Italian word for a type of timer, it involves sets of four strictly timed 25-minute stretches of focused work with 5-minute breaks.
Feynman Technique (Accelerated Mastery)
Published January 22, 2025Feynman Technique (accelerated Mastery) (Richard Feynman, 1960s) – based the conviction that true understanding comes from being able to express a concept simply, a process of paying particular attention to stumbles and gaps when attempting (or pretending) to teach a topic
Snowplow Parenting
Published January 22, 2025Snowplow Parenting (2020s) – a parenting style involving active removal of obstacles or challenges from their children’s lives to ensure they experience minimal discomfort, difficulty, or failure
Lighthouse Parenting
Published January 22, 2025Lighthouse Parenting (Kenneth Ginsburg, 2010s) – a “balanced” approach to parenting, involving both supportive guidance and measured independence – that is, in terms of the lighthouse metaphor, both reliable illumination of possible paths and freedom to self-navigate
Pure Applied Research
Published January 22, 2025Pure Applied Research – scientific research concerned with relevance for immediate use but unconcerned with the search for fundamental understanding
Use-Inspired Basic Research
Published January 22, 2025Use-Inspired Basic Research – scientific research concerned with both the search for fundamental understanding and relevance for immediate use
Pure Basic Research
Published January 22, 2025Pure Basic Research – scientific research concerned with the search for fundamental understanding but unconcerned with relevance for immediate use
Pasteur’s Quadrant
Published January 22, 2025Pasteur’s Quadrant (Donald Stokes, 1990s) – a matrix used to classify scientific inquiries, produced by placing “search for fundamental understanding” on the vertical axis and “relevance for immediate use” on the horizontal axis. Three distinct classes of research are identified.
Circle the Questions
Published January 22, 2025Circle the Questions – a strategy where students identify key questions on a worksheet or survey that they find confusing or cannot answer. Based on the results, the teacher designs follow-up activities to target the identified knowledge and comprehension issues.
Misconception Check
Published January 22, 2025Misconception Check – instructional strategies involving the presentation of common misconceptions. Students confirm or refute them, promoting critical thinking and deeper conceptual understanding.
Exit Slips (Exit Tickets)
Published January 22, 2025Exit Slips (Exit Tickets) – written reflections completed by students at the end of a lesson to assess their understanding, gather feedback, or encourage critical thinking. Teachers use them to gauge learning, identify misconceptions, and guide future instruction.
Buzz Session
Published January 22, 2025Buzz Session – a teaching strategy involving breaking into small groups for brief, focused discussions on a specific topic or question. Findings or conclusions are typically presented to the larger group for further discussion or synthesis.
Musk Illusion
Published January 12, 2025Musk Illusion (Markus Meister, Joey Zieng, 2020s) – the tendency to overestimate the pace of one’s conscious thought, which unfolds at about 10 bits/second – that is, at about the same speed as speech or writing
Post-Anthropocentrism
Published January 10, 2025Post-Anthropocentrism (late-1900s) – a philosophical and ethical framework that challenges the idea of human superiority and centrality in the world. Post-Anthropocentrism emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings and non-living entities, advocating for a more inclusive, non-human-centric perspective on knowledge, ethics, and environmental responsibility.
Hypnotherapy
Published January 10, 2025Hypnotherapy (Franz Mesmer, late-1700s) – a therapeutic technique that uses guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness (hypnosis), helping individuals overcome psychological challenges, change habits, or manage pain by accessing the subconscious mind.
Universalist Epistemology
Published January 9, 2025Universalist Epistemology – a belief that certain methods, standards, and/or criteria for knowledge and knowing are consistent and valid across all contexts, cultures, and persons. Universalist Epistemologies are especially prominent in western science, mathematics, and ethics.
Ethnolinguistics (Anthropological Linguistics)
Published January 9, 2025Ethnolinguistics (Anthropological Linguistics) – the interdisciplinary study of how language reflects, shapes, and carries cultural practices, beliefs, values, and social structures
Meta-Perception
Published December 28, 2024Meta-Perception (Daryl Bem, 1970s) – one’s ability to perceive how others perceive one’s traits and behaviors
Jahari Window
Published December 28, 2024Jahari Window (Joseph Luft, Harrington Ingham, 1950s) – a psychological tool used to enhance self-awareness and interpersonal relationships by categorizi g knowledge about oneself into four quadrants: Open, Hidden, Blind, Unknown
Mentology
Published December 28, 2024Mentology (early 1800s) – the study or science of the mind, derived from the Latin root mens “mind” and the Greek suffix –logy “study of”
Dopamine Addiction (Dopamine Dependency; Dopaminergic Addiction; Neurochemical Addiction)
Published December 23, 2024Dopamine Addiction (Dopamine Dependency; Dopaminergic Addiction; Neurochemical Addiction) – a behavioral pattern where a person becomes overly reliant on activities or substances that trigger excessive Dopamine release in the brain
Mandela Effect
Published December 23, 2024Mandela Effect (Fiona Broome, 2000s) – a phenomenon where a large group of people remember an event, fact, or detail differently than how it is recorded or verified. It’s named after Nelson Mandela because many people falsely remembered him dying in prison during the 1980s.
Treat Brain
Published December 22, 2024Treat Brain (Imogen West-Knights, 2020s) – a state of mind characterized by impulsive behaviors to seek immediate gratification, such as making quick purchases. This behavior is linked to the brain’s pursuit of Dopamine.
Addictive Learning
Published December 22, 2024Addictive Learning (2010s) – a positive term referring to learning experiences that are engaging, rewarding, and immersive – that is, highly motivating and enjoyable. The notion often associated with Intrinsic Motivation Discourses and Neuro-Focused Discourses (especially with Dopamine release).
Psychosynthesis
Published December 16, 2024Psychosynthesis (Roberto Assagioli, 1910s) – a Psychotherapeutic approach that focuses on integrating various aspects of the self (subpersonalities) and connecting with a transcendent aspect of one’s identity (Higher Self) to foster personal growth and self-actualization
Digestive System
Published December 15, 2024Digestive System – a series of organs that break down food and liquids into nutrients that the body uses for energy, growth, and repair. Poor digestive function has been associated with an array of learning difficulties.
Immune System
Published December 15, 2024Immune System – a complex network of cells, tissues, organs, and proteins that rotects the body from infection and disease. A balanced immune response is seen to be crucial for effective cognitive function.
Cortisol
Published December 15, 2024Cortisol – a Hormone that helps manage stress by increasing blook sugar and suppressing inflammation
Hormone
Published December 15, 2024Hormone – a chemical messenger released into the bloodstream by endocrine glands. Hormones affect a wide range of physiological processes. In general, Hormones travel further distances, have a broader range of target cells, and act over longer periods of time than most Neurotransmitters, although there are some substances that function as both Hormones and Neurotransmitters (e.g., Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, , and Oxytocin).
Endocrine System
Published December 15, 2024Endocrine System – a network of glands and organs that regulate many bodily functions (including growth and development, energy level, and stress response) through the production and distribution of Hormones. While not part of the Nervous System, their overlap includes the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.
Toxic Stress
Published December 15, 2024Toxic Stress – prolonged and overwhelming state of Stress due to repeated exposure to severe or traumatic experiences, which can negatively impact physical and mental health/development
Brain Rot
Published December 11, 2024Brain Rot (1980s) – originally coined to label the adverse effects of excessive television consumption, a term often used to describe a state of mental dullness or decline associated with overconsumption of mindless online content
Intergenerational Bias (Generational Bias)
Published December 5, 2024Intergenerational Bias (Generational Bias) – a pejorative term that refers to a mode of thinking that involves judging, acting, deciding, and making rules based on what one believes about different generations
Instrumental Approach (Instrumentation; Instrumentalization)
Published December 5, 2024Instrumental Approach (Instrumentation; Instrumentalization) – the viewing of cognitive processes and mental states as tools or instruments for achieving practical goals, rather than focusing solely on their intrinsic nature or metaphysical status. This perspective emphasizes the utility and functionality of cognitive systems in explaining and predicting behavior.
Ventral Vagal Complex (Social Vagal System)
Published December 3, 2024Ventral Vagal Complex (Social Vagal System) – part of the Vagus Nerve’s circuitry, playing a central role in regulating social behavior, emotional engagement, and calming physiological states
Dorsal Vagal Complex (Primitive Vagal System)
Published December 3, 2024Dorsal Vagal Complex (Primitive Vagal System) – a structure in the Medulla Oblongata that contributes to the function of the Vagus Nerve, playing a critical role in regulating autonomic functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory processes
Vagus Nerve
Published December 3, 2024Vagus Nerve – the primary conduit for the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Incremental Rehearsal (IR; Paired Incremental Rehearsal)
Published December 3, 2024Incremental Rehearsal (IR; Paired Incremental Rehearsal) (Emmett Albert Betts, 1950s) – a teaching strategy that involves a gradual introduction of new material alongside frequent review of previously learned items, leveraging repetition and the familiarity of known information to enhance retention
Stress-is-Debilitating Mindset
Published December 1, 2024Stress-is-Debilitating Mindset (Alia Crum, 2010s) – experiencing stress as harmful to health, performance, and well-being, typically associated with avoiding stressful situations and feeling overwhelmed
Stress-is-Enhancing Mindset
Published December 1, 2024Stress-is-Enhancing Mindset (Alia Crum, 2010s) – experiencing stress as an opportunity for growth, learning, and improved performance, typically associated with embracing challenges and using stress to fuel growth
Stress Mindset Theory
Published December 1, 2024Stress Mindset Theory (Alia Crum, 2010s) – a framework that explores how individuals’ beliefs about stress influence their physical, emotional, and behavioral responses to it. Two mindsets about stress are posited:
Emotion Regulation (Regulation of Emotion)
Published December 1, 2024Emotion Regulation (Regulation of Emotion) (Ross Thompson, 1990s) – the internal and external processes associated with noticing, monitoring, evaluating, and responding to one’s emotional reactions – in a manner that supports the pursuit of one’s goals
Anxious Generation
Published December 1, 2024Anxious Generation (Jonathan Haidt, 2010s) – a remaining of Generation Z, emphasizing the emotional consequences of the toxic combination of having been overprotected in the real world and underprotected in the virtual world
Neuroscientific Tripartite Models
Published December 1, 2024Neuroscientific Tripartite Models (1900s) – categories that are based on distinct brain functions (see Neuroscientific Discourses), such as the interplay between the limbic system (emotions), prefrontal cortex (reason), and basal instincts
Jung’s Tripartite Model
Published December 1, 2024Jung’s Tripartite Model (Carl Jung, 1910s) – a perspective built on Freud’s Bipartite Model (see above) but emphasizing three layers of the psyche: Conscious Mind (awareness of the self and external world), Personal Unconscious (memories and experiences unique to the individual), and Collective Unconscious (shared archetypes and cultural symbols)
Freud’s Tripartite Model
Published December 1, 2024Freud’s Tripartite Model (Sigmund Freud, 1920s) – an elaboration of Freud’s Bipartite Model (see above), involving three aspects of the psyche: Id (the instinctual and pleasure-seeking component), Ego (the rational mediator between the id and reality), and Superego (the moral conscience, embodying societal norms and ideals). This model highlights internal conflict and the role of the ego in balancing competing forces.
Christian Tripartite Model
Published December 1, 2024Christian Tripartite Model (early Christian thinkers, 200s CE) – the description of one’s soul as having three aspects: Mind/Reason (governs intellect and decision-making), Will/Spirit (drives actions and intentions), and Passions/Desires (encompasses emotions and instincts)
Plato’s Tripartite Model
Published December 1, 2024Plato’s Tripartite Model (4th century BCE) – Plato described the soul as having three parts: Logos/Rational (governs reason and intellect), Thymos/Spirited (drives emotions like courage and indignation), and Eros/Appetitive (relates to desires, pleasures, and bodily needs). Plato emphasized that a harmonious soul required the rational part to govern the other two.
Tripartite Model (Tripartite Division)
Published December 1, 2024Tripartite Model (Tripartite Division) – any model that splits the psyche into three distinct components. In contrast to Bipartite Models, Tripartite Models typically allow for intermediary or mediating forces, capturing more complexity in human psychology. Prominent examples include:
Freud’s Bipartite Model
Published December 1, 2024Freud’s Bipartite Model (Sigmund Freud, 1890s) – the division, common to most Psychoanalytic Theories, between the Conscious Mind (thoughts and feelings within immediate awareness) and the Unconscious Mind (hidden desires, memories, and instincts influencing behavior)
Plato’s Bipartite Model
Published December 1, 2024Plato’s Bipartite Model (4th century BCE) – Plato described a two-part soul: Rational Part (associated with reason and logic) and Irrational Part (encompassing desires and emotions). This view has often been foregrounding in the struggle between reason and passions.
Bipartite Model (Bipartite Division)
Published December 1, 2024Bipartite Model (Bipartite Division) – any model that splits the psyche into two distinct components. Bipartite Models tend to emphasize dichotomies and binary conflicts.
Synergy Zone
Published December 1, 2024Synergy Zone (Janet Zadina, 2020s) – an optimal state of engagement for learning, where cognitive and emotional factors harmonize to enhance understanding and retention. The construct is grounded in neuroscientific findings about how positive emotional states enhance neural plasticity.
Steelmanning (Steelman Approach; Steelman Argument; Steel Man Method)
Published November 29, 2024Steelmanning (Steelman Approach; Steelman Argument; Steel Man Method) – the practice of presenting the strongest, most robust version of someone else’s argument – even stronger than the person originally expressed it – before engaging with it. It’s the opposite of creating a Straw Man (a type of Fallacious Reasoning, under Modes of Reasoning), where one attempts to weaken another’s argument by distorting […]
Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)
Published November 29, 2024Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) – the foremost part of the Frontal Lobes, playing major roles in decision making, personality, consciousness, executive functioning, and social behavior
Cortical Areas
Published November 29, 2024Cortical Areas – brain areas involving the four lobes of the Cerebrum
Salience Network (Salience Emotion Network; SEN; SN)
Published November 29, 2024Salience Network (Salience Emotion Network; SEN; SN) – a mediator between the DMN and CEN, determining which network is most appropriate to activate based on current demands
Default Mode Network (DMN)
Published November 29, 2024Default Mode Network (DMN) – the brain network that engages during internally focused activities such as daydreaming, self-referential thinking, memory retrieval, and imagining the future.
Central Executive Network (CEN; ECN; Executive Control Network)
Published November 29, 2024Central Executive Network (CEN; ECN; Executive Control Network) – the brain network that governs high-level cognitive functions like decision-making, problem-solving, working memory, and attention. It is responsible for externally focused tasks requiring active engagement.
Somatic Nervous System (SNS)
Published November 29, 2024Somatic Nervous System (SNS) – the aspects of the Nervous System that control voluntary movements of skeletal muscles
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Published November 29, 2024Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) – the aspects of the Nervous System that regulate involuntary physiological processes
Mind-Wandering (Attentional Drift)
Published November 29, 2024Mind-Wandering (Attentional Drift) (David Stawarczyk, 2010s) – concisely, the opposite of Mindfulness, when attention drifts from the task or present moment to unrelated details. More formally, Mind-Wandering is the tendency to succumb to task-unrelated and stimulus independent thoughts.
Theory of Action (ToA)
Published November 29, 2024Theory of Action (ToA) (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, CASEL, 2020s) – a process intended to help education systems move beyond implementing SEL as isolated programs, instead aiming to embed supports for individuals to develop emotion-management skills, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions into school culture, policies, and practices
Embodied Theory of Meaning
Published November 27, 2024Embodied Theory of Meaning (Maurice Merleau-Ponty, 1950s) – any theory that asserts that meaning emerges from one’s bodily experiences in the world, especially as those experiences and their relevance are shaped by context, culture, and history
Truth-Conditional Theory of Meaning
Published November 27, 2024Truth-Conditional Theory of Meaning (Donald Davidson, 1960s)– any theory that analyzes meaning in terms of the conditions under which a statement is true – that is, knowing the meaning of a statement is understanding the circumstances that would make it true
Semantic Theory of Meaning
Published November 27, 2024Semantic Theory of Meaning (Alfred Tarski, 1950s) – any perspective grounded in the assumption that meaning is derived from the syntactic and semantic features of language
Use Theory of Meaning (Pragmatic Theory of Meaning)
Published November 27, 2024Use Theory of Meaning (Pragmatic Theory of Meaning) (Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1920s) – any perspective grounded in the assumption that meaning is defined by how words are used in a language – that is, the meaning of a word is determined by its role in communication and social practices. Specific
Structuralist Theory of Meaning
Published November 27, 2024Structuralist Theory of Meaning (Ferdinand de Saussure, 1890s) – any perspective grounded in the assumption that meaning is determined by differences and oppositions within a language
Referential Theory of Meaning (Denotational Theory of Meaning)
Published November 27, 2024Referential Theory of Meaning (Denotational Theory of Meaning) (Gottlob Frege, 1890s) – any perspective grounded in the assumption that words have meaning because they refer to objects, actions, or states of affairs – that is, the meaning of a word is what it denotes
Ideational Theory of Meaning
Published November 27, 2024Ideational Theory of Meaning (John Locke, 1680s) – any perspective grounded in the assumption that meaning arises from mental representations – and so words and expressions evoke mental concepts
Sememe, Seme
Published November 27, 2024Sememe, Seme (Eric Buyssens, 1930s) – units of word meaning, encompassing either the overall, broad concept associated with a word (Sememe) or a narrow, specific aspect of its meaning (Seme)
Artifact, Sociofact, Mentifact (Psychofact)
Published November 27, 2024Artifact, Sociofact, Mentifact (Psychofact) (Julian Huxley, 1950s) – three identifiable elements of a culture that are conceivable as “objects” – and that, like objects, have a persistence that can span generations
Memeplex (Meme Complex)
Published November 27, 2024Memeplex (Meme Complex) – a collection of memes that group together and mutually reinforce one another, enabling them to spread and persist as a cohesive unit and to combine into more complex structures
Meme
Published November 27, 2024Meme – the unit of cultural information (e.g., idea, belief, habit, song, catchphrase, fashion style, ritual) that replicates by being passed from one mind to another, often through imitation
Hebbian Learning Account of Mirror Neurons
Published November 27, 2024Hebbian Learning Account of Mirror Neurons (Christian Keysers, David Perrett, 2000s) – a blend of Hebbian Learning (under Neuroplasticity) and Associative Learning, in which Mirror Neurons (under Neuro-Focused Discourses) are suggested to develop their characteristic properties through repeated, simultaneous activation of sensory and motor pathways during specific experiences
Inattentional Blindness (Perceptual Blindness)
Published November 26, 2024Inattentional Blindness – the failure to notice something obvious in one’s field of view, often because one’s attention is focused on a specific detail
Pancomputationalism
Published November 26, 2024Pancomputationalism (Gualtiero Piccinini, 2010s) – the view that everything is a computational system – which was offered as a critique of the tendency within Computationalism to conflate computational descriptions with actual computational systems. “Computation” is a specific kind of causal process involving the manipulation of symbols based on rules, and so not many physical systems qualify as computational systems.
Digital Physics Hypothesis
Published November 26, 2024Digital Physics Hypothesis (Conrad Zuse, 1960s) – the suggestion that the universe is fundamentally computational in nature, akin to a digital computer – meaning that the fabric of reality can be described as discrete bits of information that are processed according to algorithmic rules.
Mathematical Universe Hypothesis (MUH; Ultimate Ensemble Theory)
Published November 26, 2024Mathematical Universe Hypothesis (MUH; Ultimate Ensemble Theory) (Max Tegmark, 1990s) – the suggestion that the physical universe is not merely described by mathematics, but it is mathematics – a perspective that proponents assert is bolstered by the success of mathematics in describing physical reality
Simulation Hypothesis
Published November 26, 2024Simulation Hypothesis (Nik Bostrom, 2000s) – the suggestion that the “reality” one experiences is simulated, akin to a highly advanced virtual reality. Most versions assert that one’s experiences are artificial constructs created by an advanced agent.
External Reality Hypothesis (ERH)
Published November 26, 2024External Reality Hypothesis (ERH) – the suggestion that physical reality is completely independent of human perception – meaning the universe would be the same whether or not humans were observing it
Two-Factor Model of Teaching
Published November 25, 2024Two-Factor Model of Teaching – any model of pedagogy that’s based on two dimensions of variation, which are used to construct a multi-cell matrix
LOTS
Published November 25, 2024LOTS (Raymond Cattell, 1950s) – an acronym identifying the four major data sources across Personality Types Theories: Life data (e.g., age, school grades, income), Observational data (e.g., ratings from friends, family, colleagues), Test data (i.e., measurements on standardized measurements), and Self-reported data (e.g., on questionnaires or through interviews)
Blood Type Personality Theory
Published November 25, 2024Blood Type Personality Theory (Takeji Furukawa, 1920s) – a pseudoscientific perspective based on the that one’s blood type is predictive of one’s personality type
Hippocampus
Published November 25, 2024Hippocampus – a region behind the Thalamus that is essential for learning and memory, particularly converting short-term memories into long-term ones. It also plays a role in spatial navigation.
Amygdala
Published November 25, 2024Amygdala – a small region that is involved in processing emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure. It plays a role in recognizing emotional cues and forming emotional memories.
Limbic System (Emotional Brain)
Published November 25, 2024Limbic System (Emotional Brain) – a complex set of structures that plays a key role in regulating emotions, behavior, memory, and physiological responses
Affect-Related Performance Zones
Published November 25, 2024Affect-Related Performance Zones (Michael B. Johnson, 2000s) – the ranges of emotions (e.g., arousal, enjoyment) within which one is likely to perform at optimal, moderate, or poor levels
Primal World Beliefs
Published November 25, 2024Primal World Beliefs (Jer Clifton, 2020s) – empirically derived, stable personal convictions about the world that predict how one will live one’s life. Currently 26 distinct PWBs have been identified, three of which are especially influential: Safe vs. Dangerous; Enticing vs. Dull; Alive vs. Mechanistic. Most, but not all, PWBs contribute to one’s overarching view of the world as good or bad.
Circle of Control
Published November 25, 2024Circle of Control (unknown origin) – a region that is sometimes nested within the Circle of Influence, signifying everything over which one has complete control (e.g., one’s thoughts, choices, and reactions). The category highlights one’s most direct areas of influence, emphasizing personal responsibility.
Circle of Influence
Published November 25, 2024Circle of Influence – (Stephen Covey, 1980s) – the inner circle. which contains what one can directly impact (e.g., one’s beliefs, relationships, and behaviors). Focusing on this circle increases one’s influence over time.
Circle of Adapt (Circle of Acceptance)
Published November 25, 2024Circle of Adapt (Circle of Acceptance) (unknown origin) – a region that is sometimes placed within the Circle of Concern (and around the Circle of Influence; see below) representing things one cannot control but can choose to adapt to or accept (e.g., others’ behavior or external circumstances). The category encourages resilience and flexibility in response to what one cannot change.
Circle of Concern
Published November 25, 2024Circle of Concern – (Stephen Covey, 1980s) – the outer circle, which includes everything one cares about but cannot directly control (e.g., others’ actions, politics, climate change). Worrying about such matters drains energy.
Tree of Addictions (Addiction Tree)
Published November 24, 2024Tree of Addictions (Addiction Tree) – a metaphorical framework that illustrates the origins, development, manifestations, and consequences of addictions, providing a holistic perspective for understanding and addressing their various dimensions. It connects: Roots (underlying causes, such as trauma or mental health conditions), Trunk (developmental pathways, like coping mechanisms and habit formation), Branches (observable manifestations, such as behaviors or dependencies), and Leaves (outcomes, […]
Polyvagal Ladder
Published November 24, 2024Polyvagal Ladder (Deb Dana, 2010s) – based on Polyvagal Theory(under Neuroscience), a heuristic designed to help one identify one’s emotional and physiological state/activation (where one is on the “ladder”) and how to move (upward) toward a more regulated state/activation. The three main levels are Ventral Vagal (safe – secure, connected, engaged), Sympathetic (under threat – mobilized, agitated, fight-or-flight), and Dorsal Vagal (in peril […]
Intelligence Principle
Published November 23, 2024Intelligence Principle (Frank Tipler, 1980s) – the suggestion that the improvement and maintenance of intelligence is the driving force of cultural evolution
Ludic Fallacy
Published November 23, 2024Ludic Fallacy (Nassim Nicholas Taleb, 2000s) – a critique of using probability and games to model real-life situations, sometime prompting one to conflate the uncertainty of games for the uncertainty of life – that is, to confuse Known Unknowns for Unknown Unknowns (see Conscious Competence Model of Learning).
Constructionist Gaming
Published November 22, 2024Constructionist Gaming (Yasmin B. Kafai; Quinn Burke, 2010s) – a blend of the core themes of Constructionism, Maker Education, and Games and Learning that focuses on student learning through making their own games. It is oriented by the conviction that making games contributes to the development of technical skills and supports the development of social skills. (Compare Games and Learning and Gamification.)
Stacey Matrix
Published November 22, 2024Stacey Matrix (Ralph Stacey, 19090s) – a decision-making framework intended to help organizations and leaders manage complexity and uncertainty, in part by analyzing situations according to the dimensions of “Level of Certainty” and “Level of Agreement”
85% Rule of Optimal Performance
Published November 20, 202485% Rule of Optimal Performance (1990s) – a popular-but-unproven suggestion that performing to 85% of one’s capacity in a test of ability (e.g., in a running race or a recital) will enable a better result – because, it is asserted, a level of relaxation is needed to maintain optimal form
Hedonic Treadmill (Hedonic Adaptation)
Published November 17, 2024Hedonic Treadmill (Hedonic Adaptation) (Philip Brickman, 1970s) – the tendency of people to return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite significant positive or negative changes in their life circumstances
Volitional Activities
Published November 17, 2024Volitional Activities – behaviors that are carried out deliberately, intentionally, and by choice, as opposed to reflexive responses or coerced actions
Behaviorceutical
Published November 16, 2024Behaviorceutical (Kelly Lambert, 2010s) – a portmanteau of “behavior” and “pharmaceutical” used to suggest that actions and experiences can alter brain chemistry in manners similar to pharmaceuticals
Germane Cognitive Load (Germane Load)
Published November 15, 2024Germane Cognitive Load (Germane Load) – demands on working memory by elements necessary to learn the concepts under study
Extraneous Cognitive Load (Extraneous Load)
Published November 15, 2024Extraneous Cognitive Load (Extraneous Load) – demands placed on working memory due to unnecessary elements that might be introduced as the concepts under study are presented
Intrinsic Cognitive Load (Intrinsic Load)
Published November 15, 2024Intrinsic Cognitive Load (Intrinsic Load) – demands placed on working memory due to the inherent difficulty of the concepts under study
Cybergogy
Published November 13, 2024Cybergogy (Minjuan Wang, 2010s) – a portmanteau of “cyberspace” and “pedagogy” naming a framework that focuses on creating effective learning experiences in online or digital environments. Cybergogy is attentive to the particular needs and affordances of online learning and it stresses personalization and interaction across cognitive, social, and emotional aspects.
Knowledge Vee (Vee Heuristic)
Published November 13, 2024Knowledge Vee (Vee Heuristic) (Bob Gowin, 1970s) – a model intended to improve learning by making the connections between theory, research methods, and findings more explicit and accessible. The model connects aspects of conceptual/theoretical knowledge (on one side of the V) to elements of observations and practical methods (on the other side)
Seasons of Life Theory (Levinson’s Seasons of Life Theory)
Published November 13, 2024Seasons of Life Theory (Levinson’s Seasons of Life Theory) (Daniel Levinson, 1970s) – a four-stage model of adult development that proposes several stages focused on personal growth and life transitions. Each stage is associated with distinct tasks and challenges and marked by transitions that encourage individuals to re-evaluate their lives and make significant changes. They include: Stage 1: Pre-Adulthood Era Stage 2: […]
Abstraction Ladder
Published November 12, 2024Abstraction Ladder (S. I. Hayakawa, 1930s) – a model for understanding how language can range from very concrete terms to highly abstract concepts – and how, accordingly, abstract language can obscure meaning or reduce clarity, while more concrete language can improve understanding. The following rungs are typical across the many variations of the Abstraction Ladder that have been developed: Concrete Level – […]
Ladder of Inference
Published November 12, 2024Ladder of Inference (Chris Argyris, 1970s) – a model of the mental processes involved in moving from observable data to decisions and actions. The Ladder of Inference illustrates who quickly one can move from making observations to taking deliberate actions without recognizing subjective biases and situational filters. Its steps include: Observing Reality (Available Data) – the noticing of data and experiences, such […]
Semiotic Ladder
Published November 12, 2024Semiotic Ladder (Robert Stamper, 1970s) – a model intended to support understandings of how signs and symbols are interpreted in context, considering not only syntax and semantics but also physical manifestations along with the sociocultural dimensions. The Semiotic Ladder organizes meaning into different tiers and levels, typically including (from the simplest level to the most complex): Tier 1: Data (Morphological Level) – […]
Integration Network (Conceptual Blend; Conceptual Integration Network)
Published November 12, 2024Integration Network (Conceptual Blend; Conceptual Integration Network) (Gilles Fauconnier, Mark Turner, 2000s) – an integration of multiple conceptual metaphors, offered as an explanation combinations of simpler and/or more concrete notions can be used to make sense of complex and/or abstract ideas
Ephaptic Transmission (Ephaptic Coupling; Ephaptic Field Effects)
Published November 12, 2024Ephaptic Transmission (Ephaptic Coupling; Ephaptic Field Effects) (Ragnar Granit, Edgar Adrian, 1940s) – electromagnetic fields produced by neurons or axons rather than synapses
Neural Code (Spike Code)
Published November 12, 2024Neural Code (Spike Code) (Various, 1940s) – a metaphor based on 1–0 logical operations of digital computers that was proposed (to little avail) to describe and explain brain functioning
Depth Education
Published November 7, 2024Depth Education (Vanessa Andreotti, 2020s) – an educational approach that aims to foster contextual judgment, emotional sobriety, ecological awareness, relational maturity, intellectual discernment, and intergenerational responsibility.
Epistemicide
Published November 7, 2024Epistemicide (Boaventura de Sousa Santos, 2000s) – the systematic destruction or suppression of knowledge systems, often those of marginalized or colonized peoples, by dominant cultures. Epistemicide is a critique Western-centric approaches in academia and law, advocating for recognition and respect for alternative knowledge systems.
Preparation for Future Learning
Published November 7, 2024Preparation for Future Learning (PFL) (Daniel Schwartz, John Bransford, 2000s) – an educational attitude concerned with developing cognitive flexibility, problem-solving skills, and the ability to learn independently. Oriented by the observation that traditional educational emphases do not adequately prepare students to transfer knowledge to novel contexts, PFL is aimed at preparing students to succeed in diverse and unpredictable future learning environments.
Invention Activities
Published November 7, 2024Invention Activities (Daniel Schwartz, Taylor Martin, 2000s) – learning opportunities that enhance and support innovation, from ideation through to prototyping and refinement, all aimed at helping one to develop understandings of deep, underlying structure
Engram
Published November 6, 2024Engram – a theoretical construct describing how memories might be maintained in the brain, suggesting that each memory comprises an Engram – a unique network of neurons that are distributed across several brain regions
Gamma Waves
Published November 4, 2024Gamma Waves – very high frequency (30–100 cycles/second) Brainwaves that are involved in learning and high-level cognitive processing, likely playing a key role in connecting information across different areas of the brain. They are often seen in states of peak mental performance.
Beta Waves
Published November 4, 2024high frequency (12–30 cycles/second) Brainwaves that are most common during active mental engagement, such as problem-solving, decision-making, analytical thinking, and other instances of high alertness.
Alpha Waves
Published November 4, 2024moderate frequency (8–12 cycles/second) Brainwaves that are most common during daydreams, meditation, and other forms of relaxed focus. They are associated with bridging conscious awareness and subconscious drives.
Theta Waves
Published November 4, 2024low frequency (4–8 cycles/second) Brainwaves that often occur in the early stages of sleep or in states of relaxation. They are associated with memory, imagination, creativity, and the processing of emotions.
Delta Waves
Published November 4, 2024low frequency (0.5–4 cycles/second) Brainwaves that are dominant during deep, dreamless sleep. They are associated with healing, immune function, and brain recovery.
Brainwaves
Published November 4, 2024Brainwaves – rhythmic patterns of electrical activity in the brain. Different frequencies are associated with various mental states, levels of consciousness, and functions.
Ego Dissolution
Published November 4, 2024Ego Dissolution – a phenomenon often associated with altered states of consciousness, where an individual experiences a loss of the usual boundaries of the self – that is, one’s sense of “I”” or “me” temporarily dissolves or merges with the surrounding environment, others, and/or the grander universe
Entropic Brain Hypothesis
Published November 4, 2024Entropic Brain Hypothesis (Robin Carhart-Harris, 2010s) – the suggestion that states of consciousness are correlated to the brain’s level of entropy (i.e., randomness in neural signaling). High-entropy states allow for more openness and exploration of new ideas and experiences, while low-entropy states support stability and routine.
Quantum Darwinism
Published November 4, 2024Quantum Darwinism (Wojciech Zurek, 2000s) – the proposition that the reality that one experiences is the result of a natural selection process for quantum states, where only stable, reproducible information survives and is accessible to observers
Oxytocin
Published November 3, 2024Oxytocin – a Neurotransmitter associated with social bonding and trust
Histamine
Published November 3, 2024Histamine – a Neurotransmitter involved in immune response (especially mediating allergic reactions), regulating sleep-wake cycles, and digestion
Glutamate
Published November 3, 2024Glutamate – an excitatory Neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory
Acetylcholine
Published November 3, 2024Acetylcholine – a Neurotransmitter associated with muscle activation, attention, and memory
Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline)
Published November 3, 2024Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline) – a Neurotransmitter involved in arousal, alertness, and the fight-or-flight response, operating by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to muscles
Illusion of Information Adequacy
Published November 3, 2024Illusion of Information Adequacy (Hunter Gehlbach, 2020s) – the assumption that one’s current knowledge is sufficient to understand an immediate situation
Workflow Learning
Published November 3, 2024Workflow Learning – the delivery of immediate, practical, and relevant learning opportunities at the moment they are needed through, e.g., reference guides or on-demand tutorials
GABA
Published November 3, 2024GABA – a Neurotransmitter associated with calmness and relaxation, operating by slowing brain function and blocking specific signals
Serotonin
Published November 3, 2024Serotonin – a Neurotransmitter associated with emotional stability, self-regulation, and self-confidence
Endorphins
Published November 3, 2024Endorphins – Neurotransmitters associated with sensations along the distress–pleasure continuum – including, e.g., feelings of physical and emotional pain, relief, sense of well-being, happiness, and euphoria
Epinephrine (Adrenaline)
Published November 3, 2024Epinephrine (Adrenaline) – a Neurotransmitter associated with arousal, energy, stimulation, and concentration
Magnetoreception
Published October 28, 2024Magnetoreception – speculated to be a subtle, largely unconscious ability to detect magnetic fields
Infrared Detection (Heat Sense)
Published October 28, 2024Infrared Detection (Heat Sense) – speculated ability to detect infrared radiation, similar to snakes
Electroreception
Published October 28, 2024Electroreception – speculated to be a subtle capacity to detect electric fields
Chronoception (Time Perception)
Published October 28, 2024Chronoception (Time Perception) – speculated to be a sense of the passing of time
Chemoreception Beyond Smell and Taste
Published October 28, 2024Chemoreception Beyond Smell and Taste – speculated to be a subtle capacity to detect chemicals that aren’t consciously perceived as taste or smell, but that can still influence mood or behavior (e.g., pheromone detection)
Blood Glucose Sensing
Published October 28, 2024Blood Glucose Sensing – speculated capacity to be aware of blood sugar levels
Visceroception
Published October 28, 2024Visceroception – sense the internal organs and bodily states, such as heart rate, hunger, thirst, and digestion
Vestibular System (Balance System; Equilibrioception)
Published October 28, 2024Vestibular System (Balance System; Equilibrioception) – sense of spatial orientation and balance, located in the inner ear
Thermoception
Published October 28, 2024Thermoception – ability to detect temperature changes, both in the environment and in one’s own body
Proprioception
Published October 28, 2024Proprioception – sense of body position and movement, informed by receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints
Nociception (Pain Sense)
Published October 28, 2024Nociception (Pain Sense) – perception of pain (sometimes considered an element of Touch)
Touch (Tactile System)
Published October 28, 2024Touch (Tactile System) – broad sense involving receptors in the skin for pressure, temperature, and pain
Taste (Gustatory System)
Published October 28, 2024Taste (Gustatory System) – detection of flavors via taste buds on the tongue (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami)
Smell (Olfactory System)
Published October 28, 2024Smell (Olfactory System) – detection of airborne chemicals by receptors in the nose
Sight (Vision; Visual System)
Published October 28, 2024Sight (Vision; Visual System) – ability to detect light, color, and shapes through receptors in the eyes
Hearing (Auditory System)
Published October 28, 2024Hearing (Auditory System) – perception of sound through vibrations detected by the ears
Sensory System
Published October 28, 2024Sensory System – a specialized part of the human body that detects, interprets, and responds to specific types of external or internal stimuli. Each sensory system includes dedicated sensory receptors and neural pathways and is associated with specific regions or networks in the brain that interpret the resulting signals.
Multimodal Onto-Epistemology
Published October 21, 2024Multimodal Onto-Epistemology (2010s) – an integrated philosophical framework that examines how different modes of knowledge (such as visual, auditory, and textual) shape and are shaped by the realities of existence, emphasizing the interdependence of being and knowing across various forms of expression. In education, Multimodal Onto-Epistemology is sometimes used to foreground the need for flexible, holistic approaches to understand complex phenomena.
Principle of Least Effort
Published October 21, 2024Principle of Least Effort – the suggestion that agents will usually take the path of least resistance – i.e., expend the least possible effort – to accomplish necessary tasks. The notion is incorporated into a wide range of formal and informal perspectives, including almost all discourses on learning that embrace an evolutionary dynamic.
Zipf’s Law
Published October 21, 2024Zipf’s Law – an empirical law (i.e., based on observation) stating that when a set of measured values is organized in order from most frequent to least frequent, the most common value appears twice as often as the second most common value, three times as often as the third, and so on
Pareto Distribution (80/20 Rule; Pareto Principle)
Published October 21, 2024Pareto Distribution (80/20 Rule) – a type of probability distribution (i.e., theoretical) that describes phenomena in which a small number of occurrences or individuals account for a disproportionately large number of the total effect – often articulated as about 80% of the effects coming frm 20% of the causes
Effort Paradox
Published October 20, 2024Effort Paradox – the counterintuitive phenomenon where increasing effort does not necessarily lead to improved performance or outcomes – and in some cases, it can even lead to worse results. The Effort Paradox is often linked to the Yerkes–Dodson Law (under Motivation Theories).
Soulwork
Published October 18, 2024Soulwork – the process of discovering and aligning with one’s uniqueness and deeper purpose in life, whereby one’s “soul” is understood as one’s unique, personal connection to the grander web of life
Eco-Soulcentric Stages of Life
Published October 18, 2024Eco-Soulcentric Stages of Life (Bill Plotkin, 2000s) – an eight-stage model of human development concerned with “psychospiritual transformations” or Soulwork: Soulwork – the process of discovering and aligning with one’s uniqueness and deeper purpose in life, whereby one’s “soul” is understood as one’s unique, personal connection to the grander web of life
Clark vs. Kozma Debate
Published October 18, 2024Clark vs. Kozma Debate (Richard Clark, Robert Kozma, 1990s) – a debate on different perspectives on the role of technology in education. Clark argued that media does not affect learning outcomes (i.e., it is instructional design, not the medium, that drives learning success) and Kozma asserted that well-used media can enhance learning.
Ecological Unconscious
Published October 16, 2024Ecological Unconscious (Bill Plotkin, 2020s) – extending Sigmund Freud’s Unconscious and Carl Jung’s Collective Unconscious (both under Psychoanalytic Theories), a deep and often-hidden awareness of one’s ties to the natural world
Eco-Depth Psychology
Published October 16, 2024Eco-Depth Psychology (Bill Plotkin, 2020s) – a blend of Depth Psychology (Psychoanalytic Theories) and Deep Ecology, emphasizing the profound connection between the human psyche and the natural world. Eco-Depth Psychology seeks to simultaneously heal individuals and the planet by restoring a sense of connection between the human psyche and the environment.
Speculative Realism
Published October 15, 2024Speculative Realism (Quentin Meillassoux, 2000s) – a perspective that argues that reality exists independently of human thought and lies outside human experience or comprehension. It aims toward a more objective understanding of reality while shifting discourse away from anthropocentrism. Speculative Realism thus emphasizes the autonomy of objects, the contingency of the universe, and the importance of speculating beyond what humans are able to […]
Ethico-Onto-Epistem-ology
Published October 14, 2024Ethico-Onto-Epistem-ology (Karen Barad, 2000s) – extending the discourse of Agential Realism (under Realism), the suggestion that one’s knowing and being are always and already matters of ethical accountability.
Discursive Ontology
Published October 13, 2024Discursive Ontology – the suggestion that understandings of what exists are shaped or constituted through discourse. A Discursive Ontology rejects the idea of a reality that is independent of human thought or language, instead proposing that the categories and structures used to describe the world are part of what creates or shapes experienced reality.
Phenomenon
Published October 13, 2024Phenomenon (Immanuel Kant, 1780s) – the world as it appears through one’s senses and cognitive faculties. This world of experience is structured by the mind’s categories (e.g., space, time, and causality) and therefore not a direct representation of the noumenal world.
Noumenon
Published October 13, 2024Noumenon (Immanuel Kant, 1780s) – the “thing-in-itself,” that is, reality as it exists independently of human perception and cognition
Correlationalism
Published October 13, 2024Correlationalism (Immanuel Kant, 1780s) – the suggestion that one can only understand reality as it is correlated to one’s experience. For example, according to Correlationism, one can never experience a tree in its true, objective reality. Instead, one experiences a mental representation of the tree that is shaped by our sensory input, cultural context, and conceptual frameworks. The tree as it exists […]
Onto-Epistemology (Ontoepistemology)
Published October 13, 2024Onto-Epistemology (Ontoepistemology) – any framework that embraces the suggestion that “what is” (i.e., the realm of Ontology) cannot be considered as distinct from “what is known” (i.e., Epistemology)
Ontology
Published October 13, 2024Ontology – variously defined, but most often used in reference to perspectives on the nature of being and reality
Functional Dynamic Systems
Published October 12, 2024Functional Dynamic Systems – a theoretical framework used to understand complex systems and their behaviors over time. Functional Dynamic Systems emphasizes the interactions and relationships between components of a system, rather than focusing solely on individual elements in isolation.
Routines
Published October 12, 2024Routines – recurrent patterns of communicative behavior or typical ways of engaging with problems
Mediating Artifacts
Published October 12, 2024Mediating Artifacts – symbols, diagrams, graphs, and other tools that mediate communication and thinking
Endorsed Narratives
Published October 12, 2024Endorsed Narratives – the stories or explanations people use to make sense of the world, particularly in a learning environment
Process–Object Duality Theory
Published October 12, 2024Process–Object Duality Theory (Anna Sfard, 1990s) – the suggestion that concepts – especially in mathematics – can be understood/engaged in two complementary ways, as either dynamic processes/actions or as static, holistic entities. Preferably, both are available to the learner, depending on context.
Externalist Theory
Published October 12, 2024Externalist Theory – a perspective on learning that focuses on physical/objective entities, such as artifacts and formal definitions
Internalist Theory
Published October 12, 2024Internalist Theory – a perspective on learning that focuses on mental/subjective entities, such as understanding or schemata
Radical Embodied Cognitive Science (RECS)
Published October 12, 2024Radical Embodied Cognitive Science (RECS) (Anthony Chemero, 2000s) – an explicit blend of Enactivism, Cognitive Science, and Complex Systems Research. RECS is typically framed as a rejection of Representationalism and related Correspondence Discourses.
Self-Compassion
Published October 11, 2024Self-Compassion (Kristin Neff, 1990s) – treating oneself with kindness and understanding, especially during difficult times. Self-Compassion comprises three main components: Self-Kindness, Common Humanity, Mindfulness
Species Dysphoria (Body Dysmorphic Disorder)
Published October 11, 2024Species Dysphoria (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) – the distress experienced by a person who feels their body is of the wrong species
Gender Dysphoria
Published October 11, 2024Gender Dysphoria – the distress experienced by a person whose sense of their own gender does not match with their sex assigned at birth
Dysphoria (Dysphoric Mood)
Published October 11, 2024Dysphoria (Dysphoric Mood) – an emotional state characterized by profound unease, dissatisfaction, and/or sadness with oneself-in-one’s-situation
AI Agent (Bot)
Published October 6, 2024AI Agent (Bot) (2010s) – a system that performs a specific task without human supervision or intervention. Multiple subclassifications of AI Agents have been proposed, according to perceived capability and autonomy. A popular one includes five types: Simple Reflex Agent, Model Based Agent, Goal Based Agent, Utility Agent, and Learning Agent.
Disorganized Attachment Style (Disoriented Attachment Style)
Published October 4, 2024Disorganized Attachment Style (Disoriented Attachment Style) (Mary Ainsworth, 1960s) – personally feeling undeserving of love and so interpersonally unable to accept or nurture a close relationship
Avoidant Attachment Style (Avoidant-Dismissive Attachment Style)
Published October 4, 2024Avoidant Attachment Style (Avoidant-Dismissive Attachment Style) (Mary Ainsworth, 1960s) – personally valuing independence and so interpersonally wary of close relationships with and emotional connections to others
Anxious Attachment Style (Ambivalent Attachment Style; Ambivalent-Anxious Attachment Style; Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment Style; Anxious-Preoccupied Attachment Style)
Published October 4, 2024Anxious Attachment Style (Ambivalent Attachment Style; Ambivalent-Anxious Attachment Style; Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment Style; Anxious-Preoccupied Attachment Style) (Mary Ainsworth, 1960s) – personally lacking self-esteem; interpersonally manifesting anxiety, uncertainty, and neediness
Secure Attachment Style
Published October 4, 2024Secure Attachment Style (Mary Ainsworth, 1960s) – personally able to set appropriate boundaries; interpersonally feeling safe, stable, and satisfied
Attachment Styles
Published October 4, 2024Attachment Styles (Mary Ainsworth, 1960s) – a typography of ways that people bond with other people, founded on the premise that such bonds are determined by the quality of one’s relationship with one’s first caregiver. Four styles are posited:
Purposeful Learning (Learning for Purpose)
Published October 4, 2024Purposeful Learning (Learning for Purpose) (1980s) – often contrasted with “learning for show,” a variously defined notion that most often has to do with ensuring that the learner appreciates why they are being engaged with specific topics in the manners they are being engaged
Prospective Psychology
Published October 1, 2024Prospective Psychology (Martin Seligman, 2000s) – the study of “prospection” – that is, how humans anticipate and evaluate possible futures
Pareidolia
Published September 29, 2024Pareidolia – the tendency to detect pattern in random information. Pareidolia is thought to be rooted in a cognitive system’s persistent efforts to “join the dots” to make sense of experience and it has been empirically linked to creativity (as well as, less positively, to paranoia).
Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory (Orch OR Theory)
Published September 29, 2024Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory (Orch OR Theory) (Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, 1990) – the suggestion that consciousness begins at the quantum level inside neurons (as opposed to emerging in the complex interactions among neurons). The core process, “objective reduction,” is posited to occur in microtubules, where quantum superpositions (i.e., multiple possible state) collapse (“reduce”) into single states.
Bactoneuron
Published September 27, 2024Bactoneuron (2020s) – an engineered bacterium capable of processing chemical signals and producing outputs based on pre-programmed logic functions. While the technology is in its infancy, some hope that Bactoneurons made lead to new form of bio-hybrid intelligence.
Attachment Parenting
Published September 22, 2024Attachment Parenting (William Sears, 2000s) – an approach to parenting that focuses on the attachment between the mother and the infant, advising steady proximity, extensive touch, and extreme responsiveness
Positive Parenting (Gentle Parenting; Respectful Parenting)
Published September 22, 2024Positive Parenting (Gentle Parenting; Respectful Parenting) (2010s) – a style of parenting that emphasizes regular expressions of affection, empathy, validation, kindness, and positive discipline (i.e., emphasizing positive points of behavior through clear communication and well-defined boundaries while avoiding negative discipline), which are seen both to communicate unconditional love to the child and to provide a model of how to be in the […]
Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ)
Published September 16, 2024Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) – a composite score derived from standardized intelligence tests, intended to convey a broad assessment of one’s cognitive capacities based on multiple subtests (e.g., Similarities, Vocabulary, Block Design, Matrix Reasoning, Figure Weights, Digit Span, Coding)
Volitional Learning
Published September 12, 2024Volitional Learning – learning motivated by willful decision
Serial Position Curve (U-Shaped Learning Curve)
Published September 12, 2024Serial Position Curve (U-Shaped Learning Curve) (Francis E. Nipher, 1870s) – the observation that, when provided with a list of information, one recalls the first items and the last items with greater accuracy. (See Primacy Effect and Recency Effect, under Connectionism (of Behaviorisms).)
Typicality Effect
Published September 12, 2024Typicality Effect (Eleanor Rosch, 1970s) – the observation that “typical” members of a category are learned earlier and more easily than “atypical” items, since they provide more accessible information on the qualities or traits that define the category
Trial-Spacing Effect
Published September 12, 2024Trial-Spacing Effect – the observation that learning is typically faster when consecutive learning trials are distributed in time rather than massed in time
Technological Learning
Published September 12, 2024Technological Learning (Elias Carayannis, 1990s) – the process used by a technology-driven firm to create and upgrade its capabilities through both technical and administrative learning/development processes
Tandem Learning
Published September 12, 2024Tandem Learning – the pairing of students with different first languages to improve their competencies in one another’s language while collaborating on a project of shared interest
Styles of Engagement
Published September 12, 2024Styles of Engagement – those Learning Styles Theories that focus variations among the ways that students connect with learning
Stochastic Models of Learning (Probabilistic Models of Learning)
Published September 12, 2024Stochastic Models of Learning (Probabilistic Models of Learning) (various, 1950s) – perspectives on learning that rely on principles of probability to assess and predict future states of learning
Split-Attention Effect (Split-Attention Principle)
Published September 12, 2024Split Attention Effect (Split Attention Principle) (John Sweller, 1990s) – the observation that Cognitive Load can increase significantly when one must combine information from two related-but-separated sources of information (e.g., a diagram and an explanation on different parts of a page). The associated advice is provide learners with a single, integrated source of that information.
Socio-Technical Learning
Published September 12, 2024Socio-Technical Learning (Isa Janhke, 2000s) – a discourse that looks simultaneously at technical systems and social structures, thus spanning interests in individual and collective learning, and online and face-to-face interactions
Sensory Learning Styles
Published September 12, 2024Sensory Learning Styles – those Learning Styles Theories that focus on sensory modalities (and learner preferences for those modalities)
Hope Theory (Optimism Research)
Published September 12, 2024Hope Theory (Optimism Research) (Rick Snyder, 1990s) – an effort to identify, understand, and affect the components of hope that relies heavily on the Path-Following Metaphor. Three are identified: Goals; Pathways Thinking (capacity to plan); Agency Thinking (self-confidence)
Reciprocal Learning (Reciprocal Peer Teaching; Transactive Peer Tutoring)
Published September 11, 2024Reciprocal Learning (Reciprocal Peer Teaching; Transactive Peer Tutoring) (Alison King, 1990s) – Students master lesson content in pairs, cooperating as doer/tutor (who provides a lesson on the topic) and observer/tutee (who analyzes and provides feedback on the doer/tutor’s teaching).
Puzzles
Published September 11, 2024Puzzles – a problem-type with a specific final state that requires knowledge and ingenuity to attain – but that, typically, lends itself to multiple solution strategies/sequences
Psychosemiotics
Published September 11, 2024Psychosemiotics (Gary Cronkhite, 1980s) – blending Psychology and Semiotics, the study of how one develops the ability to understand and use symbols and symbolic functions to communicate meaning
Dilemmas
Published September 11, 2024Dilemmas – situations with complex social and/or ethical entanglements, often involving difficult-but-unavoidable economic, political, cultural, or other trade-offs
Algorithmic Problems
Published September 11, 2024Algorithmic Problems – situations required in the application of an already-learned algorithm, typically operating as a thinly disguised occasion for rote practice
Design Problems
Published September 11, 2024Design Problems – situations that call for a broad domain knowledge in the development or refinement of an artifact or process. Design Problems generally have multiple, very-varied solutions
Policy Problems
Published September 11, 2024Policy Problems – situations that call for advice on governance that involve a range of stakeholders, who typically have competing perspectives and/or agendas
Troubleshooting Problems
Published September 11, 2024Troubleshooting Problems – situations that rely on (or that are aimed at developing) a multilayered conceptual model of a system in order to assess possible issues and propose likely causes and useful next steps
Decision-Making Problems
Published September 11, 2024Decision-Making Problems – situations that require one to compare and contrast advantages and disadvantages of alternate solutions
Rule-Using Problems (Rule Induction Problems)
Published September 11, 2024Rule-Using Problems (Rule Induction Problems) – problems with both clear purposes and correct solutions, but with multiple acceptable paths to those solutions and/or multiple rules governing the solution process
Story Problems
Published September 11, 2024Story Problems – mathematically or logically related elements that are embedded in a thin-but-plausible story structure
Posture Synchrony
Published September 11, 2024Posture Synchrony – that sharing of bodily postures (especially of torso, legs, and/or arms) among multiple participants
Learning Edge Momentum
Published September 11, 2024Learning Edge Momentum (Anthony Robins, 2010s) – anchored to the notion that learning happen “at the edges of what we know,” the observation that success in learning fosters success in learning – that is, learning can develop a “momentum” if one routinely experiences success
Mental Set
Published September 11, 2024Mental Set – established-but-inefficient strategies that can undermine creativity and problem solving – even when the knower is exposed to more productive strategies
Path Dependence
Published September 11, 2024Path Dependence – the recognition, articulated in terms of the Path-Following Metaphor, that all one’s current learning is dependent on one’s previous
Network Communities
Published September 11, 2024Network Communities (Fiorella De Cindio, 2000s) – online social interactive environments held together by a common interest and concerned with sharing knowledge and experiences
Nature-Guided Therapy (Ecotherapy)
Published September 11, 2024Nature-Guided Therapy (Ecotherapy) – an approach to Psychotherapy rooted in the fact that human–nature interactions can enhance well-being, and so developed around mindful awareness of one’s sensory connections with nature
Natural Learning
Published September 11, 2024Natural Learning – self-directed and self-motivated learning, according to one’s to needs, frustrations, and curiosities
Narrative-Centered Learning Environments (Story-Based Learning Environments)
Published September 11, 2024Narrative-Centered Learning Environments (Jonathon Rowe, 2010s) – an approach to Game-Based Learningthat uses narrative (i.e., stories with well-developed settings, credible characters, and compelling plots) to integrate subject-matter content, problem solving, and gameplay
Model-Based Reasoning
Published September 11, 2024Model-Based Reasoning (Philip Johnson-Laird, 1980s) – a theory concerned with the mental processes underlying logical inferences. It assumes a brain-as-computer metaphor and thus posits that formal-logical operations are at work.
Mental Chronometry (Cognitive Processing Speed
Published September 11, 2024Mental Chronometry (Cognitive Processing Speed) – formally, measures of the time it takes one to react to a sensory stimulus (i.e., the construct is based on a brain-as-computer metaphor, but the actual measurement isn’t)
Matching Theory
Published September 10, 2024Matching Theory (R.J. Herrnstein, 1970s) – the proposal that agents allocate their behavior or time to available alternatives in proportion to the benefits (reinforcers) that they get from those alternatives
Implicit Sequence Learning
Published September 9, 2024Implicit Sequence Learning (Mary Jo Nissen, Peter Bullemer, 1980s) – becoming sensitive and attuned to patterns in the environment (e.g., patterns of speech, implicit rules of behavior) without intention and awareness
Causal Inference (Causal Induction)
Published September 9, 2024Causal Inference – surmising of causal relations from multiple events in which direct observation is not possible
Causal Perception
Published September 9, 2024Causal Perception – direct observation or experience of causal relations
Guided Learning (Proximal Guidance)
Published September 9, 2024Guided Learning (Proximal Guidance) – a learner-initiated educational process that is supported by more-experienced “guides,” who typically offer advice on resources, structuring experiences, and so on
Functional Learning
Published September 9, 2024Functional Learning – the development of useful-but-imperfect rules for situations that involves variable inputs and outputs (e.g., “increasing the temperature will speed up the cooking” and “displaying greater anger will mitigate the bad behavior”)
Fact Learning
Published September 9, 2024Fact Learning – the process of established a “fact” (a discrete piece of information) in long-term memory so that it can be recalled later
Action Schema
Published September 9, 2024Action Schema – the integrated aspects of a particular action that are structured in a manner which allows the knowing agent to repeat that action in novel contexts
Emotional Schema
Published September 9, 2024Emotional Schema – a network of emotional responses associated with particular experiences (with people, objects, events, etc.) that can be transferred onto analogous situations and agents
Emotional Memory
Published September 9, 2024Emotional Memory – Episodic Memories tethered to experiences (or aspects of experiences) that evoked emotional responses
Ecology of Learning
Published September 9, 2024Ecology of Learning – the relationships between an entity’s learning and its interactions with physical factors such as climate, setting, and other entities (e.g., similar entities, flora, fauna)
Dual-Process Models (Two-Process Models)
Published September 9, 2024Dual-Process Models – models of thought, creativity, intelligence, and other aspects of the human psyche that rely on brain-as-computer and cognition-as-information-processing metaphors. The two processes are (1) a quick and automatic style relying on well-learned information and heuristic cues (labeled, e.g., “automatic,” “heuristic,” “peripheral,” “experiential,” impulsive,” “tacit,” and “associative”) and (2) a slower, more deliberative style relying on explicit rules and symbolic […]
Cumulative Learning
Published September 9, 2024Cumulative Learning – a popular term most often used to refer to the gradual accretion of knowledge and skills over time. That is, the notion is typically interpreted in terms of the Acquisition Metaphor, although it can be (and is) used across many theories and interpretations of learning.
Cultural-Historical Theory of Development
Published September 9, 2024Cultural-Historical Theory of Development (Lev Vygotsky, 1930s) – a metatheory that regards human development as mostly a social process, rooted in the observation that perceived regularities of human mental development both radically differs from that of all other species and can vary dramatically from one cultural group to another
Cross-Modal Learning
Published September 9, 2024Cross-Modal Learning – learning that involves information from more than one sensory modality
Critical Learning Incidents (Critical Events in Learning)
Published September 9, 2024Critical Learning Incidents (Critical Events in Learning) – moments of learning that one identifies as unusually effective, impactful, and/or meaningful (although not necessarily experienced as such in the moment)
Creative Inquiry
Published September 9, 2024Creative Inquiry (Alfonso Montuori, 1980s) – contrasted with “transmission teaching” and “reproductive learning,” an educational attitude that emphasizes ongoing inquiry, engagement with the world, and the ongoing emergence of meaning, knowledge, and identity.
Openness to Experience
Published September 9, 2024Openness to Experience – one’s openness to new experiences, creativity, imagination, and intellectual curiosity. High scorers tend to be curious, inventive, and open-minded, while low scorers tend to be more practical, conventional, and resistant to change.
Conscientiousness
Published September 9, 2024Conscientiousness – one’s level of organization, dependability, self-discipline, and goal orientation. High scorers are organized, responsible, and reliable, whereas low scorers may be more spontaneous, careless, or disorganized.
Extraversion
Published September 9, 2024Extraversion – the extent to which a person is outgoing, social, energetic, and assertive. High scorers are sociable, enthusiastic, and enjoy being around people, while low scorers (introverts) may be more reserved, quiet, and prefer solitude.
Agreeableness
Published September 9, 2024Agreeableness – one’s tendency to be compassionate, cooperative, and empathetic towards others. High scorers are friendly, trusting, and helpful, while low scorers may be more competitive, critical, or antagonistic.
Neuroticism
Published September 9, 2024Neuroticism – one’s tendency to experience negative emotions like anxiety, anger, or depression. High scorers are more prone to stress and emotional instability, while low scorers tend to be more emotionally resilient and calm.
Complex Learning
Published September 9, 2024Complex Learning (Robert Gagné, David Merrill, 1990s) – a notion offered as a counterpoint to curriculum structures and teaching approaches that are experienced as fragmented and disconnected. Aiming at a more “complex” – that is, integrated and holistic – attitude, Complex Learning emphasizes relationships among elements and across other disciplines and categories of experience.
Comparator Hypothesis
Published September 9, 2024Comparator Hypothesis (Ralph Miller, 1980s) – the suggestion that one’s cognitive system doesn’t just learn one connection but constantly compares different associations to figure out which one is the most reliable in predicting what will happen next
Collaboration Scripts
Published September 9, 2024Collaboration Scripts (Ingo Kollar, Frank Fischer, Friedrich Hesse, 2000s) – guidelines on personal behavior and interpersonal interactions, intended to enhance learning within a collaboration of multiple learners. Often srongly reflective of Cooperative Learning structures, Collaborative Scripts specify and assign tasks and roles to participants.
ArgueGraph
Published September 9, 2024ArgueGraph (Pierre Dillenbourg, Patrick Jermann, 2000s) – a computer-supported Collaborative Scriptintended to integrate individual, small-group, and whole-class learning. It begins by generating a “graph” of participants’ preferences and fluidly organizes groups and assigns roles according to similarities and differences across those positions.
Cognitive Economy
Published September 7, 2024Cognitive Economy (Nicholas Rescher, 1980s) – a perspective aimed at understanding how humans apportion their finite cognitive capacities – that is, the means that enable one to focus on relevant features, while avoiding distraction of other details. The main foci of Cognitive Economy are the simplicity and relevance of one’s categories and schemata.
Cognitive Learning
Published September 7, 2024Cognitive Learning (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – a change in one’s knowledge due to experience (as distinguished from Behaviorist Learning (under Behaviorisms), which is defined as a change in behavior due to experience)
Behaviorist Learning
Published September 7, 2024Behaviorist Learning – a change in behavior that can be attributed to experience
Causal Learning (Causal Reasoning; Contingency Learning; Human Causal Learning)
Published September 7, 2024Causal Learning (Causal Reasoning; Contingency Learning; Human Causal Learning) (Aristotle, c. 300 BCE) – the learning of cause–effect relationships – that is learning how to determine what causes what in situations involving two or more dynamic elements. Causal Learning is, by definition, reductionist, as it assumes the possibility of understanding the whole in terms of the parts.
Bloom’s Model of School Learning
Published September 7, 2024Bloom’s Model of School Learning (Benjamin Bloom, 1970s) – the proposal that learning outcomes (i.e., levels and types of achievement, rates of learning, and affective outcomes) are determined from four elements: (1) cognitive predispositions, (2) affective predispositions, (3) learning tasks, and (4) the quality of teaching. The Model is concerned mostly with the series of learning tasks, emphasizing a cyclical or iterative […]
Blocking
Published September 7, 2024Blocking (Leon Kamin, 1960s) – the failure to learn (respond to) a new stimulus when there is a trained stimulus present – i.e., the earlier-encountered stimulus “blocks” the ability to learn about later-introduced stimulus
Belief-Based Learning Models
Published September 7, 2024Belief-Based Learning Models – perspectives concerned with how one learns over time in games and other repeatedly encountered strategic situations. These models assume that agents’ actions are based on their beliefs about the expected behavior of others – beliefs that are constantly updated while engaging with those others.
Approach–Avoidance (Approach and Avoidance Motivation)
Published September 7, 2024Approach–Avoidance (Approach and Avoidance Motivation) (William James, 1890s) – a conflict or tension that arises when one is simultaneously drawn to and repelled by a particular goal or stimulus, because that object or situation has both positive and negative aspects
Psychological Anthropology (Anthropology of Learning)
Published September 7, 2024Psychological Anthropology (Anthropology of Learning) – a branch of Anthropology concerned with how collective culture and individual psyche give rise and shape one another
Analytic Learning (Analytical Learning)
Published September 7, 2024Analytic Learning – a teaching emphasis that begins with analyzing the components and the structure of the concepts with a view toward blending learners’ prior knowledge with new realizations to make rational generalizations
Analogical Coherence
Published September 7, 2024Analogical Coherence – the extent of fit between the source and target of an analogy, assessed according to similarities of structure and purpose
Aesthetic Learning (Sensori-Emotional Learning)
Published September 7, 2024Aesthetic Learning – learning associated with fine-grained discernments, aesthetic judgements, and creative expression. Aesthetic Learning is most often associated with the fine arts, but a more inclusive sense of the terms encompasses more general life experiences.
Adventure Learning
Published September 7, 2024Adventure Learning (Aaron Doering, 2000s) – a team-based educational approach used in online and hybrid settings structured around investigations of authentic topics
Actualized Affordance
Published September 7, 2024Actualized Affordance – an affordance that has been fully realized or utilized in a particular context
Passive Avoidance
Published September 7, 2024Passive Avoidance – refraining from a behavior in order to avoid an unwanted outcome
Active Avoidance
Published September 7, 2024Active Avoidance – engaging in a behavior that prevents an unwanted outcome
Action Regulation Theory
Published September 7, 2024Action Regulation Theory (Andreas Krapp, 1980s) – a perspective on how individuals achieve their goals through processes of action and regulation
Interest Development (Four-Phase Model of Interest Development)
Published September 7, 2024Interest Development (Four-Phase Model of Interest Development) (Suzanne Hidi, K. AnnRenniger, 2000s) – a model describing four phases in the evolution of one’s interest in a subject: Triggered Interest (capturing attention through novelty or relevance); Maintained Interest (maintaining interest through repeated exposure and sustained engagement); Emerging Interest (emergence of self-sustained interest); Well-Developed Interest (presence of deep involvement and personal commitment)
Low Affective Filter
Published September 7, 2024Low Affective Filter (Stephen Krashen, 1980s) –feelings of comfort, motivation, and confidence that can support effective learning
High Affective Filter
Published September 7, 2024High Affective Filter (Stephen Krashen, 1980s) – a negative emotional headspace (due to stress, fear of making mistakes, or lack of motivation) that mitigates against effective learning
Affective Filter Hypothesis
Published September 7, 2024Affective Filter Hypothesis (Stephen Krashen, 1980s) – the suggestion that emotional factors – such as anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence – can help or hinder learning. (The Affective Filter Hypothesis was explicitly developed in relation to second-language learning, but some have generalized it to many domains.) Two types are filter are posited: High Affective Filter (Stephen Krashen, 1980s) – a negative emotional headspace […]
Path–Goal Theory
Published September 7, 2024Path–Goal Theory (Robert House, 1970s) – a leadership theory that uncritically employs a Path-Following Metaphor to frame its advice for “clarifying the path to success,” “removing obstacles,” and motivating followers “to achieve goals”
Progressive Inquiry Model
Published September 7, 2024Progressive Inquiry Model (Kai Hakkarainen, 1990s) – a model of Inquiry-Based Learning intended to foster deep, meaningful understanding through activities that are designed to support collective cognitive processes
Biculturalism Theory (Bicultural Competence)
Published September 7, 2024Biculturalism Theory (Bicultural Competence) (Teresa LaFromboise, 1990s) – a perspective on how individuals from minority or marginalized groups successfully function in two distinct cultural environments
Autonomy-Supportive Learning
Published September 7, 2024Autonomy-Supportive Learning (Edward Deci, Richard Ryan, 1980s) – advice on creating learning environments that foster students’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness, aimed at prompting learners to take ownership of their education
Performance Goal (Task Goal)
Published September 6, 2024Performance Goal (Carol Dweck, 1980s) – a learning goal that’s motivated by desires to outperform others and to gain favorable judgments of one’s performance
Mastery Goal (Ego Goal)
Published September 6, 2024Mastery Goal (Carol Dweck, 1980s) – a learning goal that’s focused on improving one’s skills and understanding
Achievement Goal Theory (Achievement Orientation Theory; Goal Orientation Theory; Goal Perspective Theory)
Published September 6, 2024Achievement Goal Theory (Carol Dweck, 1980s) – a perspective that highlights the impact of goal orientation on learning strategies, motivation, and overall academic and personal success. Two kinds of achievement goals are distinguished: Mastery Goal (Ego Goal) (Carol Dweck, 1980s) – a learning goal that’s focused on improving one’s skills and understanding Performance Goal (Task Goal) (Carol Dweck, 1980s) – a learning […]
Control-Value Theory
Published September 6, 2024Control-Value Theory (Reinhard Pekrun, 2000s) – the perspective that integrates emotions into the understanding of academic motivation and performance, positing that students’ emotions related to achievement are influenced by their perceptions of control and value
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Published September 6, 2024Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Richard Bandler, John Grinder, 1970s) – an approach that aims to help individuals change negative patterns, enhance personal effectiveness, and improve interpersonal communication by focusing on the relationships among neurological processes, language, and behavioral patterns
Problem-Solving Theory
Published September 6, 2024Problem-Solving Theory (Allen Newell, Herbert Simon, 1970s) – a domain-defining examination of the nature of Problem Solving and its utility for understanding human cognition. For example, Newell and Simon formulated the concepts of Problem Spaces (see below), distinguished among some Problem Types (see below), and emphasized the use of Heuristics (see above).
Lifespan Development Theory
Published September 6, 2024Lifespan Development Theory (Paul Baltes, 1970s) – a perspective on human development as a lifelong process that’s marked by continuous growth and change from birth to old age. The theory emphasizes the dynamic interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors, framing development as multidimensional, multidirectional, and influenced by historical and cultural contexts.
Somatic Marker Hypothesis
Published September 6, 2024Somatic Marker Hypothesis (Antonio Damasio, 1990s) – the suggestion that emotional processes shape behavior, including processes associated with logical decision-making (“Somatic markers” are bodily responses associated with emotions, such as muscle tenseness or rapid heartbeat when anxious.)
Funds of Knowledge
Published September 6, 2024Funds of Knowledge (Luis Moll, Cathy Amanti, Deborah Neff, Norma Gonzalez, 1990s) – a perspective that highlights for the rich, practical knowledge and skills that students gain from their families and communities, particularly in marginalized or working-class environments. The theory advocates for educators to tap into these “funds” to create more meaningful and inclusive learning experiences.
Cultural Capital Theory
Published September 6, 2024Cultural Capital Theory (Pierre Bourdieu, 1970s) – the view that non-economic assets – such as language skills, manners, taste, and academic qualifications – afford cultural advantages, especially in relation to navigating educational institutions. In turn, those advantages become more deeply instantiated in culture and influence subsequent patterns of behavior and type of preferred capital.
Baldwin Effect (Organic Evolution; Organic Selection)
Published September 6, 2024Baldwin Effect (Organic Evolution; Organic Selection) (James Mark Baldwin, 1890s) – an evolutionary theory positing that the ability to learn new behaviors can influence evolutionary processes as Natural Selection favors traits that support advantageous learned behaviors
Epigenetic Theory of Learning (Probabilistic Epigenesis)
Published September 6, 2024Epigenetic Theory of Learning (Probabilistic Epigenesis) (Gilbert Gotlieb, 1990s) – a perspective that emphasizes the dynamic, bidirectional interactions biological and environment factors on development and learning
Instinctual Drift (Instinctive Drift)
Published September 6, 2024Instinctual Drift (Instinctive Drift) (Keller Breland, Marian Breland, 1960s) – the tendency of learned behaviors to revert to innate, instinctual patterns over time
Social Brain Hypothesis (Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis)
Published September 6, 2024Social Brain Hypothesis (Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis) (Frans de Wall, 1980s) – the suggestion that aspects of social life (e.g., the demands on perception and memory that are necessary to function effective in large social groups) are the primary influences on the evolution of the human brain and the emergence of intelligent behavior
Uniform Connectedness
Published September 6, 2024Uniform Connectedness – the tendency to associate elements that are connected by a common visual property (e.g., color, Common Region, Common Direction)
Good Continuation
Published September 6, 2024Good Continuation – the tendency to perceive separate elements arranged in a straight or smoothly curved line as related
Habits of Mind (16 Habits of Mind)
Published September 4, 2024Habits of Mind (16 Habits of Mind) (Art Costa, Bena Kallick, 1980s) – a set of life-related skills deemed essential for effective functioning in today’s world, including: persisting, managing impulsivity, listening empathetically, thinking flexibly, thinking metacognitively, striving for accuracy, posing problems, applying prior learning, communicating clearly, gathering useful information, innovating creatively, responding with wonderment, taking appropriate risks, finding humor, thinking interdependently, and […]
Security Theory
Published September 4, 2024Security Theory (William Blatz, 1950s) – a precursor to Attachment Theory that asserts each child’s confidence and courage in the world is rooted in the stability of and trust in their early caregivers
Game
Published September 1, 2024Game – a contrived situation in which participants must make decisions to counter and/or utilize some manner of randomness or uncertainty in order to attain a pre-defined goal
Salience Bias (Perceptual Salience)
Published August 31, 2024Salience Bias (Perceptual Salience) – a Cognitive Bias that determines the Salience of a stimulus (e.g., an object, event, or information) for a specific perceiver
Salience (Saliency)
Published August 31, 2024Salience (Saliency) – the property of something perceived that makes it stand out (i.e., more obvious, or more emotionally impactful) to the perceiver
Aversive Salience
Published August 31, 2024Aversive Salience – those instances of Motivational Salience associated with undersireable stimuli and/or outcomes (see Punishment, under Operant Conditioning)
Incentive Salience
Published August 31, 2024Incentive Salience – those instances of Motivational Salience associated with positive stimuli and/or outcomes (see Reinforcing Stimulus, under Operant Conditioning)
Motivational Salience
Published August 31, 2024Motivational Salience (Kent Berridge, 1990s) – the extent to which specific cues are attractive or attention-grabbing due to the dopamine system’s activation. Motivational Salience is associated with one’s prioritizing of those cues or their related rewards. Subcomponents of Motivational Salience are identified as:
Delayed Gratification (Deferred Gratification)
Published August 31, 2024Delayed Gratification (Deferred Gratification) (Walter Mischel, 1960s) – the ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward, often with the hope or expectation of a more significant reward in the longer term. Delayed Gratification has been empirically linked to academic success, well-being, and sociality.
Digital Detox
Published August 31, 2024Digital Detox – taking a break from using digital devices (especially to access social media) with the intention of reducing stress, improving in-person relationships, and diversifying physical activities
Dopamine Detox (Dopamine Fasting)
Published August 31, 2024Dopamine Detox (Dopamine Fasting) – taking a break (of hours to days) from activities that provide instant gratification – i.e., those activities that are popularly associated with “dopamine hits.” The goal is to reduce the frequent and artificial spikes in Dopamine that can lead to cravings, distraction, and a lack of motivation for more productive tasks.
Dopamine
Published August 31, 2024Dopamine – a Neurotransmitter that plays key roles in how one feels pleasure, experiences reward, learns, remembers, maintains motivation, and regulates mood
Zone of Productive Struggle
Published August 27, 2024Zone of Productive Struggle (2020s) – a blend of the construct of Productive Struggle and research into the role of success in maintaining interest and motivation (see, e.g., 85% Rule for Optimal Learning, under Optimal Learning), positing guidelines for balancing difficulty and ease in the design of learning tasks
Insight Learning Theory
Published August 16, 2024Insight Learning Theory (Wolfgang Köhler, 1920s) – a perspective grounded in the belief that learning occurs through sudden realizations rather than gradual processes. According to this perspective, sudden realizations involve significant restructuring of one’s knowledge, emerging from one’s efforts to organize and make sense of complex stimuli.
Anti-Aging Movement
Published August 16, 2024Anti-Aging Movement (Elie Metchnikoff, 1890s) – a social movement focused on slowing, masking, and reversing – and, for some, eliminating – the effects of aging. Many approaches are being explored, from dietary interventions and pharmaceuticals to more experimental methods like cryonics and radical life extension strategies.
Biogerontology
Published August 16, 2024Biogerontology (Suresh Rattan, 2000s) – a subfield of Gerontology focused on the biology of aging
Senescence (Biological Aging; Biological Senescing)
Published August 16, 2024Senescence (Biological Aging; Biological Senescing) (August Weismann, 1880s) – the aging process – that is, the gradual deterioration of function that occurs in living organisms as they age, eventually leading to death
Healthspan
Published August 16, 2024Healthspan (David Sinclair, 2010s) – the portion of one’s life that one is feeling healthy and able to take part in favorite activities
Neuroaffirming (Neurodiversity Affirming)
Published August 13, 2024Neuroaffirming (Neurodiversity Affirming) (2020s) – an adjective associated with strength-based and rights-based educational attitudes associated with affirming and supporting neurodivergent identities
Strategic Theory (Strategy Theory)
Published August 12, 2024Strategic Theory (Strategy Theory) (Sun Tzu, c. 500 BCE) – perspectives on formulating, , implementing, and evaluating strategies, particularly in military, political, and/or business contexts. In education, Strategic Theoryis typically applied to planning, decision-making, and policy development to enhance the effectiveness of educational institutions, programs, and initiatives.
Luxury Belief
Published August 4, 2024Luxury Belief (Rob Henderson, 2010s) – a term originally defined in reference to opinions that signals a privileged person’s status or virtue without having a direct or practical impact on their life. In education, the term is often used to refer to attitudes and practices of those from advantaged backgrounds that can systematically disadvantage the already-disadvantaged – as when, for example, persons […]
Social Connection (Social Connectedness)
Published August 4, 2024Social Connection (Social Connectedness) – relational experiences with others, especially those experiences associated with feelings of being valued, loved, and cared for by family, friends, colleagues, and one’s grander community. Associated constructs and discourses include:
Polycrisis
Published July 30, 2024Metacrisis and Polycrisis – references to the complex, overlapping, and urgent challenges facing the world. Metacrisis is generally associated with deep, underlying systemic issues, while Polycrisis is more often focused on the interactions of multiple crises. As such, Metacrisis calls for holistic, systemic responses, whereas Polycrisis highlights resource-based and political constraints that compel more fractured and superficial responses. Concisely, Metacrisis aligns with […]
Metacrisis
Published July 30, 2024Metacrisis and Polycrisis – references to the complex, overlapping, and urgent challenges facing the world. Metacrisis is generally associated with deep, underlying systemic issues, while Polycrisis is more often focused on the interactions of multiple crises. As such, Metacrisis calls for holistic, systemic responses, whereas Polycrisis highlights resource-based and political constraints that compel more fractured and superficial responses. Concisely, Metacrisis aligns with […]
Evil Demon (Deus Deceptor; Evil Genius; Malevolent God; Malicious Demon)
Published July 30, 2024Evil Demon (Deus Deceptor; Evil Genius; Malevolent God; Malicious Demon) (René Descartes, 1640s) – a proposed supernatural being capable of presenting one with a complete and compelling illusion of the world. Descartes proposed this device as a specific Method of Systematic Doubt.
Brain in a Vat (BIV; Brain in a Jar)
Published July 30, 2024Brain in a Vat (BIV; Brain in a Jar) (Gilbert Harman, Hilary Putman, 1970s) – an image involving an artificially sustained, disembodied human brain connected to a computer that simulates all the electrical impulses it would normally receive. This image used in some thought experiments to highlight and problematize common-but-implicit assumptions about learning and cognition.
Systemics
Published July 30, 2024Systemics (Mario Bunge, 1970s) – a general term, initially coined in reference to non-reductive research perspectives. Currently, Systemics is most often used an a synonym for Complex Systems Research.
Forming–Storming–Norming–Performing Model of Group Development
Published July 30, 2024Forming–Storming–Norming–Performing Model of Group Development (Bruce Tuckman, 1960s) – a four-phase model that is suggested to be both an strategy to nurture collegiality and an approach to collective problem-solving (involving identifying a challenge, grappling with it, implementing a solution, and producing results)
Quantum Decision Theory
Published July 23, 2024Quantum Decision Theory (Andrei Khrennikov, 2000s) – a perspective that draws on principles of quantum physics (e.g., superposition, entanglement) to model decisions in ways intended to better account for ambiguity, unpredictability, and evolving contexts than classical, probability-based models
Screenless Learning
Published July 23, 2024Screenless Learning (2020s) – any educational activity in which deliberate efforts are made to avoid use of digital tools, often emphasizing situated experience, direct social engagement, and higher-level thinking
Soft Skills Training
Published July 23, 2024Soft Skills Training – experiences intended to support the development of capacities associated with effective functioning in social situations – especially career-related ones. Lists of Soft Skills tend to be tailored to roles and contexts, but the following are common entries: interpersonal skills, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, time management, leadership , and work ethic
Countertransference
Published July 23, 2024Countertransference – occurs when a psychotherapist transfers emotions onto (i.e., redirects feelings to and/or becomes emotionally entangled with) a client, often in response to the client’s Transference onto the therapist
Rational Choice Theory
Published July 23, 2024Rational Choice Theory (Adam Smith, late-1700s) – a perspective on social and economic behavior that assumes one’s choices are driven by self-interest
Immunity to Change Theory
Published July 22, 2024Immunity to Change Theory (Robert Kegan, Lisa Lahey, 2000s) – a strategy to enable change, based on the conviction that hidden, competing commitments and underlying assumptions often create a form of psychological “immune system” that resists change in order to maintain a sense of stability
Emotional Ecology
Published July 22, 2024Emotional Ecology – the suggestion that emotion is part of a complex dynamic system, with influences that include relationships, situations, and environments
Optimal Conflict
Published July 22, 2024Optimal Conflict (Robert Kegan, Lisa Lahey, 2000s) – situations that can dramatically increase learning because of the following conditions: (1) a challenge that is personally compelling (2) but persistently frustrating, (3) thus triggering awareness of current limits (4) but not overwhelming in part due to the presence of necessary supports.
Organizational Behavior
Published July 22, 2024Organizational Behavior – a field concerned with how interactions (both individual and group) within an organization affect its progress toward identified goals
Ideal Theory vs. Non-Ideal Theory
Published July 20, 2024Ideal Theory vs. Non-Ideal Theory (John Rawls, 1990s) – a contrast proposed to describe the evolution of practical theories, suggesting that one starts with an Ideal Theory (e.g., involving universal compliance with principles and/or oriented to a utopian endstate) that serves as a precursor to a Non-Ideal Theory (e.g., involving partial compliance with principles and/or embracing an always-evolving horizon)
Studio Thinking (Studio Mind Framework)
Published July 19, 2024Studio Thinking (Studio Mind Framework) (Lois Hetland, Ellen Winner, 2000s) – habits of mind that might be effectively developed through the arts, having to do with noticing, interpreting, imagining, expressing, and reflecting
2 Sigma Problem
Published July 19, 20242 Sigma Problem (Benjamin Bloom, 1980s) – a critique of conventional models of whole-class teaching based on a study in which students who received 1-on-1 tutoring using mastery techniques performed massively better (i.e., two standard deviations better – see Normal Distribution, under Medical Model of (Dis)Ability) than peers in a control class
Culpable Control
Published July 19, 2024Culpable Control (Mark Alicke, 2000s) – a model linking of blame-taking that links one’s intentions in an action to the eventual consequences of that action, suggesting that more responsibility is assumed when intentions and consequences are more aligned
Learning Paradox
Published July 11, 2024Learning Paradox (Plato, c. 400 BCE) – the assertion that learning is inherently impossible, arising from the assumption that one can only recognize a phenomenon on the basis of what one already knows
Blame Attribution Theory
Published July 11, 2024Blame Attribution Theory (Gisli Gudjonsson, 1980s) – as the name suggests, a perspective of the cognitive processes associated with how and where people assign blame for negative events
Unknown Knowns
Published July 2, 2024Unknown Knowns – aspects of reality that humans aren’t aware of but nonetheless understand
Known Knowns
Published July 2, 2024Known Knowns – aspects of reality that humans are aware of and do understand
Known Unknowns
Published July 2, 2024Known Unknowns – aspects of reality that humans are aware of but don’t understand
Unknown Unknowns
Published July 2, 2024Unknown Unknowns – aspects of reality that humans aren’t aware of and don’t understand
Mrs. Potter’s Questions
Published July 2, 2024Mrs. Potter’s Questions – a series of straightforward questions intended to support student Metacognition by guiding reflection on learning events. Typically, those questions include: What were you trying to do? What went well? What would you do differently next time? Do you need any help?
Inferential Questions
Published July 2, 2024Inferential Questions (Stems 13–24) – interpretation-inviting questions, of the sort: What can …? Why should …?
Literal Questions
Published July 2, 2024Literal Questions (Stems 1–12) – information-focused questions, of the sort: What is …? Why do …?
Ignorance Questions
Published July 2, 2024Ignorance Questions – questions that the questioner poses with conscious ignorance of their own knowledge, usually with the intention of being provocative. Examples include deliberately inserting an error, invoking a taboo, and denying an accepted truth.
Fertile Questions
Published July 2, 2024Fertile Questions (Yoram Harpaz, 2000s) – questions that support genuine inquiry – that is, that are focused on complex and relevant issues, that likely have consequential answers, and that are likely involved
Q-Matrix (Weiderhold Question Matrix)
Published July 2, 2024Q-Matrix (Weiderhold Question Matrix) (Chuck Weiderhold, 1990s) – a hierarchical arrangement of 36 question stems, which can be subdivided into three clusters:
Unanswerable Question
Published July 2, 2024Unanswerable Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question intended to open students’ considerations to potentially unanswerable – but nonetheless consequential – matters
Telling Question
Published July 2, 2024Telling Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a fact-seeking question, often used to orient students’ focus within an evidence-based investigation
Subsidiary Question
Published July 2, 2024Subsidiary Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a “small” question that might contribute and/or lead to more substantial questions
Strategic Question
Published July 2, 2024Strategic Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question intended to add depth to the discussion at hand by inviting students to compare or consider alternatives,
Subsidiary Question
Published July 2, 2024Subsidiary Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a “small” question that might contribute and/or lead to more substantial questions
Strategic Question
Published July 2, 2024Strategic Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question intended to add depth to the discussion at hand by inviting students to compare or consider alternatives,
Sorting and Sifting Question
Published July 2, 2024Sorting and Sifting Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question designed to focus students’ attentions to the relevance of information at hand to the issue under consideration
Provocative Question
Published July 2, 2024Provocative Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question intended to sow doubt or skepticism among students to prevailing thinking
Probing Question
Published July 2, 2024Probing Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question designed to prompt students to think systematically (e.g., to apply logic, to invoke prior learnings, to test a thought, etc.)
Planning Question
Published July 2, 2024Planning Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question intended to support student efforts to organize thinking and structure activities
Organizing Question
Published July 2, 2024Organizing Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question intended to support student efforts to organize gathered information
Irreverent Question
Published July 2, 2024Irreverent Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a deliberately disruptive invitation to students to “think outside the box”
Irrelevant Question
Published July 2, 2024Irrelevant Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a divergent question intended to deflect students from their immediate focus, typically in the hope of opening other relevant avenues
Inventive Question
Published July 2, 2024Inventive Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question designed to expand students’ considerations beyond popular ideas and existing habits
Hypothetical Question
Published July 2, 2024Hypothetical Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a “what if” type of question intended to prompt students to consider possibilities and relationships
Essential Question
Published July 2, 2024Essential Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question that probes a relevant and consequential issue, often touching on “how” and “why”
Elaborating Question
Published July 2, 2024Elaborating Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question intended to focus students’ attention onto implicit or unstated meanings
Divergent Question
Published July 2, 2024Divergent Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question inviting students to consider topics adjacent to their current focus
Clarification Question
Published July 2, 2024Clarification Question (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a question designed to prompt students to interrogate underlying assumptions and arguments
Questioning Toolkit
Published July 2, 2024Questioning Toolkit (Jamie McKenzie, 1990s) – a typology of teacher-posed questions. Types include:
Logos
Published July 2, 2024Logos (Aristotle, c. 350 BCE) – persuasiveness that is rooted in reasoned argument (i.e., explicit definitions, analogies, and/or logic)
Pathos
Published July 2, 2024Pathos (Aristotle, c. 350 BCE) – persuasiveness associated with the extent to which the audience is aroused (emotionally) to belief or action
Ethos
Published July 2, 2024Ethos (Aristotle, c. 350 BCE) – persuasiveness that can be attributed to the audience’s perceptions of the informant’s character – i.e., credibility, warmth, etc.
Infodynamics
Published June 27, 2024Infodynamics (2010s) – a mash-up of Information Theory (see Cybernetics) and “thermodynamics” (i.e., the branch of physics focused on relationships among forms of energy)
Computational Neuroscience (Mathematical Neuroscience; Theoretical Neuroscience)
Published June 27, 2024Computational Neuroscience (Mathematical Neuroscience; Theoretical Neuroscience) (1980s) – as the name suggests, a branch of Neuroscience concerned with the development of computation-based models of the Central Nervous System (see Neuro-Focused Discourses). It is sometimes aligned with and sometimes distinguished from Dynamical Neuroscience.
Dynamical Neuroscience
Published June 27, 2024Dynamical Neuroscience (1990s) – an approach to Neuroscience that employs principles and strategies of Complex Systems Research to model the Central Nervous System (see Neuro-Focused Discourses)
Dynamicism (Dynamic Cognition; Dynamic Hypothesis; Embodied Dynamicism)
Published June 27, 2024Dynamicism (Dynamic Cognition; Dynamic Hypothesis) (Tim van Gelder, 1990s) – the proposal that, within regard to currently available computation-based modeling tools, human cognition is best interpreted using differential equations and dynamical systems (see Complex Systems Research)
Postcognitivist Psychology
Published June 27, 2024Postcognitivist Psychology (1990s) – a broad category that is applied to theories within and branches of Psychology that share a rejection of Cognitivism and other Brain-as-Computer Discourses
Anchor Chart
Published June 25, 2024Anchor Chart – a visual artifact comprising reminders of relevant prior learnings. An Anchor Chart is intended to make it available for new topics of study by “holding” what has already been studied (hence the anchor metaphor).
Ethical Know-How
Published June 19, 2024Ethical Know-How (Francisco Varela, 1990s) – perspective on ethics as a way of being – an everyday living in the world – that’s rooted in an ongoing practice of self-transformation. This view breaks with a prevailing view of “ethics” as a formal, conscious, and/or rule-based system of judgment.
Principled Practical Knowledge
Published June 19, 2024Principled Practical Knowledge (Carl Bereiter, 2010s) – practical know-how that is informed by scientific insights
Three-Story Intellect Model
Published June 18, 2024Three-Story Intellect Model (Robert Fogarty, 1990s) – a hierarchical model of cognitive acts that’s intended to inform teaching. Its three levels can be roughly mapped onto Bloom’s Taxonomy: Gathering (akin to Bloom’s “Remember”); Processing (akin to Bloom’s “Understand”); Applying (mashing up Bloom’s “Apply,” “Analyze,” “Evaluate,” and “Create”).
Radical Discursivism
Published June 10, 2024Radical Discursivism (Jacques Derrida, 1990s) – a version of Discursivism that incorporates Post-Structuralism and Critical Theory (under Critical Pedagogy)
Discursivism (Discourse Ethics; Communicative Action)
Published June 10, 2024Discursivism (Discourse Ethics; Communicative Action) (Jürgen Habermas, 1970s) – a perspective on the role of communication in the development of society and in the justification of norms and laws, suggesting that these arise through communicative action
Perceptual Symbols Systems Model
Published May 31, 2024Perceptual Symbols Systems Model (Lawrence Barsalou, 1990s) – the perspective that one’s abstract understandings are tethered to bodily states, based on the frequent observation that recalling or thinking about a concept can reactivate sensations, motor actions, and other bodily states that were active when the concept was learned
Metaphoric Transfer Effect
Published May 31, 2024Metaphoric Transfer Effect (2000s) – the spontaneous (i.e., nonconscious) act of imposing qualities from one domain of experience onto another, in a manner triggered by and consistent with the use of a metaphor
Value Belief Norm Theory (VBN)
Published May 30, 2024Value Belief Norm Theory (VBN) (Paul Stern, 2000s) – a perspective concerned with those personal actions and choices that are not strongly constrained by contextual forces. VBN posits that such actions and choices will be governed by deeply embodied convictions.
Social Dilemma System Model
Published May 30, 2024Social Dilemma System Model (Robert Gifford, 2000s) – a model of decision-making that incorporates geophysical, political, social, and personal considerations, foregrounding tensions that arise when self-interest conflicts with grander interests
Social Marketing Model
Published May 30, 2024Social Marketing Model (Alan Andreasen, 1990s) – a perspective that draws on principles of marketing – specifically, attending to personal wants and needs rather than attempting to convince – as means to influence individual behaviors for collective good
Stage-Environment Fit Theory
Published May 30, 2024Stage-Environment Fit Theory (Jacquelynne Eccles, Carol Midgley, 1980s) – a perspective converned on the relationship between student motivation/success and the support and opportunities that students experience in their institutions
Stability Bias
Published May 28, 2024Stability Bias – an indefensible confidence in the stability of one’s memory that contributes to errors in judgment and prediction
Co-Discovery Method (Constructive Interaction)
Published May 28, 2024Co-Discovery Method (Constructive Interaction) – a loosely defined construct that has been applied to situations in which multiple learners work together to solve problems.
Group Dynamics
Published May 25, 2024Group Dynamics – oriented by Complex Systems Research, the intertwining cognitive and behavioral processes among social groups – both within (intragroup) and between (intergroup).
Operations Research (Operational Research; Operations Analysis; OR)
Published May 25, 2024Operations Research (Operational Research; Operations Analysis; OR) – a discipline concerned with improving decision making through rigorous use of analytic methods
System Dynamics
Published May 25, 2024System Dynamics – a domain of study, organized around mathematical modeling, that is focused on better understanding the dynamics of the complex systems
Critical Mass Theory
Published May 25, 2024Critical Mass Theory (Rosabeth Moss Kanter, 1970s) – drawing an analogy to a principle of nuclear physics (i.e., about the mass of a substance needed to maintain a chain reaction), a perspective concerned with the number of individual agents necessary to effect a system-wide shift
School-to-Prison Pipeline (School-to-Jailhouse Track; School-to-Prison Link; School-to-Prison Nexus; SPP)
Published May 22, 2024School-to-Prison Pipeline (School-to-Jailhouse Track; School-to-Prison Link; School-to-Prison Nexus; SPP) – a label applied to the observation that, in the United States, a disproportionate number of individuals from specific minorities and/or disadvantaged backgrounds are represented in prison populations – due to, it is often asserted or implied, school structures, local policies, and/or policing practices
Ecological Racism (Ecological Apartheid; Environmental Racism)
Published May 18, 2024Ecological Racism (Ecological Apartheid; Environmental Racism) – a form of racism that’s realized in actions that disproportionately impact racialized and already-disadvantaged populations (e.g., mining activities that impose environmental burdens on Indigenous peoples)
Anthropogenic Evolution
Published May 14, 2024Anthropogenic Evolution (2020s) – either (1) biocultural evolution of the human species as influenced by human-caused changes to the more-than-human world, or (2) biological evolution of other species as influenced by human-caused changes to the environment
Floating Signifier (Empty Signifier; Open Signifier; Sliding Signifier)
Published May 14, 2024Floating Signifier (Empty Signifier; Open Signifier; Sliding Signifier) (Claude Lévi-Strauss, 1970s) – a Signifier with a vague, shifting, and/or unspecified Signified – and so subject to diverse and often-incompatible interpretations
Signifier (Plane of Expression)
Published May 14, 2024Signifier (Plane of Expression) – experienced (i.e., observable, hearable) aspects of a Sign, such as a word
Signified (Plane of Content)
Published May 14, 2024Signified (Plane of Content) – the form or concept that a Sign refers to, stands for, or represents
Sign
Published May 14, 2024Sign – a sort of mediator between one’s mind and an object or event. That is, a Sign is a stand-in that represents something else. Most Signs are arbitrary (i.e., inherently meaningless) and may be icons (images), pointers (that direct attentions), or symbols (e.g., numbers, words, gestures). People usually use combinations of Signs to communicate. A Sign has two main components:
Vertical Discourse
Published May 14, 2024Vertical Discourse (Basil Bernstein, 1990s) – highly organized, systematically validated, mainly explicit, and context-independent knowledge
Horizontal Discourse
Published May 14, 2024Horizontal Discourse (Basil Bernstein, 1990s) – commonsensical, everyday knowledge that is specific to a Discourse Community – that is, Horizontal Discourse is localized, context dependent, and largely tacit
Escalation
Published May 10, 2024Escalation – a System Archetype in which agents perceive themselves in competition and thus respond to one another in ways that systematically amplify differences and aggressions
Eroding Goals (Drifting Goals)
Published May 10, 2024Eroding Goals (Drifting Goals) – a System Archetype in which diminished performances trigger diminished expectations in self-amplifying cycle s
Shifting the Burden
Published May 10, 2024Shifting the Burden – a System Archetype in which the symptoms (rather than the underlying causes) of a problem are addressed, typically leading to a reliance on whatever means are used to manage those symptoms
Success to Successful
Published May 10, 2024Success to Successful – a System Archetype in which differential resources (e.g., pedagogical support, emotional attention, or physical assets) are provided to agents who show early success, thus amplifying differences between those agents and others
Fixes That Fail
Published May 10, 2024Fixes That Fail – a System Archetype in which a specific solution (“fix”) for a problem has a positive effect in the short-term, but negative effects in the long-term
System Archetypes
Published May 10, 2024System Archetypes (Peter Senge, 1990s) – types system dynamics in which Positive Feedback and/or Negative Feedback(see Cybernetics) give rise to common or generic patterns of activity.
Video Learning (On-Demand Video Learning; Video-Based Learning)
Published May 9, 2024Video Learning (On-Demand Video Learning; Video-Based Learning) – the use of recorded images and audio to structure learning experiences, typically in a manner that affords the learner significant control over pacing, repetition, practice, and sequencing
Internally Persuasive Discourse (IPD)
Published May 8, 2024Internally Persuasive Discourse (IPD) (Mikhail Bakhtin, 1980s) – contrasted with “authoritarian discourse,” an involvement in dialogue that resonates with one’s current sense-making while being open to potential needs to elaborate or otherwise revise that sense-making
Exploratory Talk
Published May 8, 2024Exploratory Talk (Neil Mercer, 2000s) – a form of interaction that involves genuine engagement with others’ thinking – through, e.g., Active Listening (see Discourses on Individual Learning in Group Settings), Open Questions (see Questions), and a general willingness to let the conversation flow. It is contrasted with squabbling “Disputational Talk” and transmissive “Cumulative Talk.”
Impasse-Driven Learning
Published May 8, 2024Impasse-Driven Learning (Kurt VanLehn, 1980s) – a process whereby one encounters a problem (“impasse”) in their understanding of a topic, prompting efforts to seek out and engage with relevant information or resources to overcome that obstacle. Impasse-driven learning emphasizes targeted support, reflection, and problem-solving.
Parasympathetic State (Rest and Digest)
Published May 7, 2024Parasympathetic State (Rest and Digest) – a state of calmness or relaxation associated with the activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Sympathetic State (Hyperarousal)
Published May 7, 2024Sympathetic State (Hyperarousal) – a state of heightened arousal (that may trigger Fight, Flight, or Freeze responses; see Drives, Needs, & Desires Theories) that is triggered when the Sympathetic Nervous System is activated by a perceived threat or stress
Side Learning
Published May 7, 2024Side Learning (Yale University, 2010s) – a type of Self-Directed Learning that is focused on elaborating one’s range of expertise in order to expand one’s career possibilities. (The name is a play on the notion of “earring on the side.”)
Horizontal Development
Published May 5, 2024Horizontal Development – the gaining and honing of skills and capabilities that are needed to function within one’s current frame
Vertical Development Theory
Published May 5, 2024Vertical Development Theory Suzanne Cook-Greuter, 2000s) – a seven-stage model aimed at the complexification of one’s worldview/mindset through interrogating one’s frames of interpretation, restructuring one’s habits of acting, and integrating the varied aspects of one’s being. The stages (and their foci) are: 1. Opportunist (gaining personal advantage); Diplomat (earning approval); 3. Expert (garnering respect); 4. Achiever (gaining recognition); 5. Redefining (seeking meaning); […]
Not Even Wrong
Published May 5, 2024Not Even Wrong (Wolfgang Pauli, 1940s) – a description of a claim that is asserted to be scientific but that cannot be rigorously assessed
Category Error (Categorical Mistake; Category Mistake; Mistake of Category)
Published May 5, 2024Category Error (Categorical Mistake; Category Mistake; Mistake of Category) (Gilbert Ryle, 1940s) – when elements that belong in one category are inappropriately assumed or asserted to belong in another category, or when properties that apply to one phenomenon (or level of organization) are inappropriately assumed or asserted to apply to another phenomenon (or level of organization)
Transference
Published May 5, 2024Transference (Sigmund Freud, 1890s) – when attitudes or emotions that were originally associated with one person (who is usually not immediately present) are projected onto another person (who is immediately present)
Double Bind
Published May 5, 2024Double Bind (Gregory Bateson, 1950s) – a dilemma involving incompatible messages, whereby an agent is faced with two irreconcilable demands or two unwanted options
Phylogenesis (Phylogenetic Evolution; Phylogeny)
Published May 5, 2024Phylogenesis (Phylogeny) – the evolutionary unfolding of a species. Phylogenesis is often coupled with and contrasted to Ontogenesis.
Ontogenesis (Ontogeny)
Published May 5, 2024Ontogenesis (Ontogeny) – the organic growth of an organism – that is, the biological events that unfold as an organism develops and matures
Learning IV
Published May 5, 2024Learning IV (Gregory Bateson, 1970s) – a change in Learning III, which possibly can only occur in the combination of Ontogenesis and Phylogenesis (see Universal Darwinism). That is, Learning IV might happen only at the levels of interspecies evolution.
Learning III
Published May 5, 2024Learning III (Gregory Bateson, 1970s) – a change in the system in which an agent is acting, in a manner that affords and compels new choices of action for the agent
Learning II (Deutero-Learning)
Published May 5, 2024Learning II (Deutero-Learning) (Gregory Bateson, 1940s) – a change in the learning process, typically associated with awareness of how and/or why one is learning. Examples include Learning to Learning (under Personal Agency Discourses) and Learning Transfer)
Zero Learning
Published May 5, 2024Zero Learning (Gregory Bateson, 1970s) – any change in how an agent responds to a specific circumstance that can be attributed to the simple receipt of information from an event that is external to the agent. Zero Learning refers to simple changes in behavior that cannot be assessed as “correct” or “incorrect.”
Pyramid Models of Action, Cognition, and Consciousness
Published May 3, 2024Pyramid-shaped models are quite common among Development Discourses. Rather than undertaking a survey of the very many variations that are present in the current literature, we have attempted to consolidate the key features of most such models in a graphic:
Cathartic Theory of Play
Published May 2, 2024Cathartic Theory of Play (Sigmund Freud, 1900s) – the suggestion that play serves as a means either to satisfy drives or to resolve conflicts (at least temporarily), especially when no other options for necessary catharsis are available
Pull Coaching
Published May 1, 2024Pull Coaching (Robert Hargrove, 2000s) – a learner-directed form of Coaching, in which strategies and activities are aligned the novice/trainee’s intentions and preferences
Push Coaching
Published May 1, 2024Push Coaching (Robert Hargrove, 2000s) – a directive form of Coaching, whereby the expert/mentor directs the novice/trainee in the implementation of pre-selected methods
Instructional Coaching
Published May 1, 2024Instructional Coaching (2000s) – a variously interpreted construct that most often is used to refer to situations in which mentor teachers support other teachers’ professional learning/development, especially in efforts to incorporate evidence-based practices
Allistic
Published April 30, 2024Allistic – a neologism meaning “not autistic”
Subgoal Labeling
Published April 25, 2024Subgoal Labeling – the identification of a definable subset of steps in a larger procedure (e.g., “borrowing” when performing a multi-digit subtraction algorithm)
Media Psychology (Mediacology)
Published April 25, 2024Media Psychology (Mediacology) (1980s) – a branch of Psychology focused on human interactions with “media,” which is understood to include communication technologies, information technologies, and media content
Anticipatory Socialization
Published April 25, 2024Anticipatory Socialization (Robert Merton, 1940s) – the processes by which one transforms from an outsider to an insider in a social group – through, e.g., becoming familiar with the culture, adopting appropriate behaviors, assuming prevalent attitudes, establishing relationships, and taking on a meaningful role
Cortical Recycling (Neuronal Recycling)
Published April 23, 2024Cortical Recycling (Neuronal Recycling) (Stanislas Dehaene, 2000s) – the co-oping of existing neural circuits for other purposes. The phenomenon was proposed to explain how humans are able to develop complex cognitive functions (e.g., language) that are too recent to be attributable to biological evolution.
Cross Modal Plasticity
Published April 23, 2024Cross Modal Plasticity – the integration of two or more sensory modalities through a reorganization of neural networks. It is typically triggered by sensory deprivation or brain injury.
Willful Ignorance
Published April 23, 2024Willful Ignorance – the deliberate dismissal of and/or refusal to acknowledge available information and/or sound reasoning – typically in order to avoid an undesired conclusion and/or to maintain an existing belief
Error-Driven Learning
Published April 22, 2024Error-Driven Learning – a variously interpreted term that is most often used in reference to both human learning and Machine Learning that involves making and correcting errors early in the process, thus exposing problematical associations before they become entrenched
Transformer
Published April 22, 2024Transformer (Google, 2010s) – a form of Deep Learning modelled on brain networks that can distinguish the relative importance and the strengths of connection among different parts of its input
Accountable Talk
Published April 10, 2024Accountable Talk (Lauren Resnick, 2000s) – any discussion that contributes to learning through being true to the knowledge domain, committed to rigorous thinking, and being respectful to others in the learning community
Stages of Transition Theory
Published April 7, 2024Stages of Transition Theory (Judy Boychuk Duchscher, 2000s) – a three-stage model that describes the rapid evolution of professional identity and expertise in high-stress contexts. The stages are: Doing (becoming aware of, adjusting to, and accommodating to workplace realities and pressures through performing); Being (rapid development of skills, knowledge, and reasoning – prompting some questioning and doubt); Knowing (emergence of confidence and […]
Interoception
Published March 31, 2024Interoception (Charles Sherrington, 1900s) – those sensory systems that inform one about internal functioning – including visceroception (perceptions from the internal organs in the body’s trunk), proprioception (sense of body position and movement), and others
Exteroception
Published March 31, 2024Exteroception (Charles Sherrington, 1900s) – those sensory systems that deal with information from stimuli outside the body (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch)
Parentification (Parent–Child Role Reversal)
Published March 31, 2024Parentification (Parent–Child Role Reversal) (Salvador Minuchin, 1960s) – when a child assumes the physical, emotion, and/or mental responsibilities of a parent for their sibling(s) and/or parent(s).
Cognitive Support
Published March 27, 2024Cognitive Support – an umbrella term applied to any intervention or other form of assistance intended to mitigate issues with learning, cognition, and/or memory that might impede one’s routine obligations
Edusemiotics (Educational Semiotics)
Published March 13, 2024Edusemiotics (Educational Semiotics) (Andrew Stables, 2000s) – a frame in which learning is identified as co-extensive with living; both are construed as semiotic processes of creating meaning through responding to and interpreting signs. Formal education is thus interpreted as a co-option of learning (see Exaptation, under Universal Darwinism), whereby classical distinctions of knower–knowledge, mind–body, self–other, and so are reconceived as dynamic and […]
Exaptation (Co-Option)
Published March 11, 2024Exaptation (Co-Option) (Stephen J. Gould, 1980s) – the coopting of an evolved function for another purpose. For example, the human larynx is theorized to have evolved to enhance capacities to call and to warn, and it was later co-opted for speech.
Surprise Effect
Published March 11, 2024Surprise Effect – the positive responses associated with sudden encounters with the unexpected. While extreme surprises are often linked to negative emotions (e.g., fear responses), non-extreme surprises are associated with pleasure, focus, and concentration – which are theorized as neurological responses to enable one to find meaning in the surprise.
Senseforaging
Published March 11, 2024Senseforaging – attending mindfully to one’s bodily sensations
Dishabituation (Dehabituation)
Published March 6, 2024Dishabituation (Dehabituation) – a recovery or restoration of a behavior that had become habituated (e.g., noticing a background noise that one had grown used to)
Sympathetic Nervous System
Published March 4, 2024Sympathetic Nervous System – those aspects of the Nervous System that are mobilized to respond to threats
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Published March 4, 2024Parasympathetic Nervous System – those aspects of the Nervous System that are associated with establishing and maintaining states of calm
Nervous System Dysregulation (Dysregulated Nervous System)
Published March 4, 2024Nervous System Dysregulation (Deregulated Nervous System) – an imbalance of the Sympathetic Nervous System and the Parasympathetic Nervous System, typically manifesting as a psychological problem or a mental illness.
Philosophical Anthropology (Anthropological Philosophy)
Published March 2, 2024Philosophical Anthropology (Anthropological Philosophy) (Max Scheler, 1920s) – a domain concerned with the nature, essence, and significance of humanity – that is, that seeks to understand consciousness, belief, meaning, freedom, morality, and other fundamental questions
Knowledge System
Published February 29, 2024Knowledge System – the combination of a robust structure and a dynamic process for generating, maintaining, and distributing insights. The term is most commonly used in business applications.
Neural Complexity
Published February 24, 2024Neural Complexity (various, 2010s) – a measure of the level of information/activity in the brain, determined as the number of unique brain signals (i.e., ignoring repetitive signals). Neural Complexity is correlated to consciousness as is boosted by some Psychoactive Drugs (under Human Enhancement).
Critical AI
Published February 23, 2024Critical AI (Lauren Goodlad, 2020s) – a blend of Critical theory (under Critical Pedagogy) and Artificial Intelligence, that encourages ongoing interrogation of the impacts of AI, especially in relation to differentiated benefits and hidden consequences
Double Embodiment
Published February 22, 2024Double Embodiment (Maurice Merleau-Ponty, 1950s) – the suggestion that learning and cognition are dependent on both having an a biological body that is physically and perceptually active and being situated in a bio-psycho-socio-cultural setting – that is, in essence, a blending of the key foci of Embodiment Discoursesand Embeddedness Discourses
Developmental-Explanatory Thesis
Published February 22, 2024Developmental-Explanatory Thesis (Daniel Hutto, Erik Myin, 2010s) – the suggestion that the processes and emergent consequences of learning and cognition can be fully explained by the history of an agent’s interactions with its environment
Embodiment Thesis
Published February 22, 2024Embodiment Thesis (Daniel Hutto, Erik Myin, 2010s) – a conception learning and cognition in terms of situated (i.e., physical, spatial, and temporal) and nonlinear (I.e., dynamic and iterative) patterns of interaction between agents and their environments
Radical Enactivism
Published February 22, 2024Radical Enactivism (Daniel Hutto, Erik Myin, 2000s) – an effort to articulate and defend a minimal core of necessary principles for Enactivism. The project was prompted by a growing tendency by some researchers to invoke notions associated with Coherence Discourses, especially Representationalism .
100-Hour Rule (Rule of 100 Hours)
Published February 21, 2024100-Hour Rule (Rule of 100 Hours) (Anders Ericsson, 1970s) – the assertion that small amounts of consistent daily practice (estimated at between 15 and 20 minutes per day, or totalling about 100 hours per year) are usually sufficient to support “expert” performance (understood as ranking in the top 5% of practitioners)
Problem-Solving Question (Inquiry Question)
Published February 12, 2024Problem-Solving Question (Inquiry Question) – a scenario-based prompt that requires a non-obvious and non-trivial solution, typically used to gauge range of understanding and/or creativity
Multiple Choice Question
Published February 12, 2024Multiple Choice Question – comprising a question (“stem”) and several choices, of which one is the correct/desired answer and the others are “distractors”
Reflective Question
Published February 12, 2024Reflective Question – a question aimed at prompting critical awareness of one’s emergent understandings
Redirecting Question
Published February 12, 2024Redirecting Question – an invitation to others present to elaborate an answerer’s response
General Question
Published February 12, 2024General Question – a question that’s (1) typically answered Yes or No, (2) usually spoken with rising intonation, and (3) that’s formed by flipping subject and verb of a regular sentence (e.g.: You are listening. → Are you listening?; They speak French. → Do they speak French?; We haven’t seen the video. → Haven’t we seen the video?)
Affective Question
Published February 12, 2024Affective Question – a query about the answerer’s emotional state, often used to gauge engagement with the situation at hand
Critical Awareness Question
Published February 12, 2024Critical Awareness Question – a prompt requiring the answerer to be explicit about assumptions, rationales, and other aspects contributing to a response or position
Morphic Resonance
Published February 12, 2024Morphic Resonance (Rupert Sheldrake, 1980s) – the highly controversial suggestion that all similar forms of life (morphs) are connected by fields that afford access to “collective memory,” which orients and enables development and behavior
Feldenkrais Method
Published February 12, 2024Feldenkrais Method (Moshé Fendenkrais, 1960s) – a type of Physical Therapy that is purported to improve mental and physical well-being by reorganizing and/or repairing brain–body connections
Physical Therapy (Exercise Therapy; Physiotherapy)
Published February 12, 2024Physical Therapy (Exercise Therapy; Physiotherapy) (ancient) – an approach to the maintenance and restoration of health and well-being through physical treatments – including, but not limited to, exercise, training, massage, manipulation, traction, hydrotherapy, electrostimulation, heat, cold, and sonics. Specific types include:
Indirect Question
Published February 6, 2024Indirect Question – any of the above question types that is rephrased to sound less blunt or more polite (e.g., How does this site work? → Could you please tell me how this site works?)
Disjunctive Question (Question Tags)
Published February 6, 2024Disjunctive Question (Question Tags) – a question that (1) comprises an affirmative statement followed by a negative question (or vice versa) and (2) begins with a falling intonation and ends with a rising intonation (e.g., Piaget was a constructivist, wasn’t he? Vygotsky wasn’t a constructivist, was he?)
Special Question (WH Question)
Published February 6, 2024Special Question (WH Question) – a question that (1) includes an interrogative (i.e., who, what/which, where, when, why, or how) and (2) is usually spoken with a falling intonation (e.g.: What’s the website about? How might you define “discourse”?)
Alternative Question (Choice Question)
Published February 6, 2024Alternative Question (Choice Question) – a question that (1) presents choices that are separated by the word “or” and (2) is usually spoken with rising intonation for the first option(s) and falling intonation for the final option (e.g.: Is that a correspondence discourse or a coherence discourse?)
Metacognitive Question
Published February 6, 2024Metacognitive Question – a prompt intended to trigger the answer’s self-awareness. Specific types include:
Hypothetical Question
Published February 6, 2024Hypothetical Question – a prompt that invites speculation on possible outcomes or future actions
Evaluation Question (Evaluative Question)
Published February 6, 2024Evaluation Question (Evaluative Question) – a prompt that invites a value judgment of an idea, person, or situation – based on a synthesis of information, typically intended to inform choices and future decisions
Innovative Question
Published February 6, 2024Innovative Question – a prompt that relies on, but requires the answerer to go beyond, what has been studied and mastered. Examples include:
Inference Question
Published February 6, 2024Inference Question – a prompt that challenges the answerer to move from a set of established facts to a useful generalization or conclusion, typically for assessing depth of understanding
Comparison Question
Published February 6, 2024Comparison Question – a prompt that invites the answerer to identify similarities and differences across objects, ideas, etc.
Process Question
Published February 6, 2024Process Question – a prompt that requires the answerer to apply, analyze, and/or evaluate a concept or situation.
Application Question
Published February 6, 2024Application Question – a prompt to apply a skill or concept, typically for the purpose assessing levels of mastery
Informational Question (Factual Question; Recall Question)
Published February 6, 2024Informational Question (Factual Question; Recall Question) – a prompt that intended to elicit specific facts or details, which may be either known to the asker (e.g., on a formal test) or not known (e.g., about another’s well-being)
Essay Question
Published February 6, 2024Essay Question – a complex prompt that invites extended explication of knowledge and demonstration of understanding, typically requiring analyses of situations and/or synthesis of information
Divergent Question
Published February 6, 2024Divergent Question – an Open Question with no correct or incorrect response that’s usually intended to invite opinions, discussion, and/or debate
Open Question (Open-Ended Question)
Published February 6, 2024Open Question (Open-Ended Question) – a prompt that permits (and, perhaps, invites) different answers, interpretations, and/or strategies – typically involving application of concepts, synthesis of ideas, contextualization of information, and/or some manner of conjecture. Formats include:
Short Answer Question
Published February 6, 2024Short Answer Question – a prompt that demands an answer of several words or a few sentences. When used in formal education, most often, responses to Short Answer Questions are expected include predetermined elements (e.g., What’s “genetic epistemology”?). That’s typically not true of such questions outside of schooling (e.g., What medications are you on? Are there any good restaurants nearby?)
Stapel Scale Question
Published February 6, 2024Stapel Scale Question – a unipolar Rating Question – that is, one focused on a single attribute (e.g.: Rate “textbook clarity” from –3 [Very Poor] to +3 [Very Good].)
Semantic Differential Question
Published February 6, 2024Semantic Differential Question – a bipolar Rating Question – that is, one posed in terms of a continuum with two extremes (e.g.: Rate “textbook style” according to Traditional [1] to Reform [5].)
Likert Scale Question
Published February 6, 2024Likert Scale Question – an opinion-seeking Rating Question for which responses range from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree
Rating Question
Published February 6, 2024Rating Question – a question that is answered on a scale
Fill-in-the-Blank Question
Published February 6, 2024Fill-in-the-Blank Question – a phrase or sentence with a missing term, for which there is a narrowly acceptable range of responses
Matching Question
Published February 6, 2024Matching Question – two sets of items, requiring the answerer to create pairs comprising one item from each set
True/False Question (Yes/No Question)
Published February 6, 2024True/False Question (Yes/No Question) – a prompt comprising a single statement that is identified as either True or False (or either Yes or No)
Fixed Response Question
Published February 6, 2024Fixed Response Question – a question with a predetermined response
Closed Question (Close-Ended Question; Convergent Question; Fixed-Alternative Question; Fixed-Choice Question; Forced-Choice Question)
Published February 6, 2024Closed Question (Close-Ended Question; Convergent Question; Fixed-Alternative Question; Fixed-Choice Question; Forced-Choice Question) – a prompt with a narrow and predetermined set of possible responses. Formats include:
Refocusing Question
Published February 6, 2024Refocusing Question – a prompt intended to remind participants of the focus of discussion or study
Leading Question
Published February 6, 2024Leading Question – a prompt intended to provoke a specific response, often perceived as manipulative
Structuring Question
Published February 6, 2024Structuring Question – an open prompt focused on the answerer’s sensemaking, usually intended to reveal aspects of a discussion that need to be reviewed or emphasized
Prompting Question
Published February 6, 2024Prompting Question – a question that includes cues or clues to assist the answerer in generating a useful response
Clarifying Question
Published February 6, 2024Clarifying Question – a prompt requiring the answerer to explicate their intended meaning (e.g., of a word or concept)
Probing Question
Published February 6, 2024Probing Question – a follow-up prompt, intended either to glean greater insight into the answerer’s understandings or to support the answerer’s learning. Examples include:
Funnel Questions
Published February 6, 2024Funnel Questions – a series of prompts intended to model rational and systematic thought by starting with broad matters and “funneling” to a narrower band of considerations
Teacherly Question (Pedagogical Question)
Published February 6, 2024Teacherly Question (Pedagogical Question) – a question that lacks a questioner – i.e., one for which the answer is already known by the person asking. The following are common types of Teacherly Questions:
Rhetorical Question
Published February 6, 2024Rhetorical Question – a question that lacks both a questioner and an answerer – i.e., the person who states it doesn’t expect an answer, and the person who hears it isn’t expected to respond
Hermeneutic Question
Published February 6, 2024Hermeneutic Question – a question for which the questioner does not know the answer and is sincere in their desire for a meaningful response
85% Rule for Optimal Learning
Published February 6, 202485% Rule for Optimal Learning (Robert Wilson, Amitai Shenhav, Mark Straccia, Jonathan Cohen, 2010s) – the empirically based suggestion that there is an optimal level of difficulty for motivating learning – namely, a ratio of about 85% accuracy/success to 15% error/failure. Greater success might be associated with a lack of challenge; greater failure might trigger excessive frustration.
Emancipatory Social Science
Published February 5, 2024Emancipatory Social Science (Erik Olin Wright, 2000s) – a mashup of Social Science and Activist Discourses, generating a version of Social Science that is especially critical of the social and political injustices associated with capitalism while advocating for meaningful and disruptive transformations of policies, institutions and systems
Capacity Theory
Published February 5, 2024Capacity Theory (Daniel Kahneman, 1970s) – the suggestion that the element that determines how one’s Attention is split among multiple demands is how much “capacity” each of those demands requires. Capacity Theory was originally articulated as an alternative to Filter Theory (see below).
Behavioral Cusp
Published February 5, 2024Behavioral Cusp (Sidney Bijou, 1990s) – a specific type of behavioral change that affords access to new and markedly broader possibilities – including new stimuli, new situations, new reinforcers, and/or new behaviors. The notion interrupts assumptions that are common to most Behaviorisms, such as linear learning progressions and gradual accumulations of new behaviors.
Apprenticeship Perspective (Educational Theory of Apprenticeship)
Published February 5, 2024Apprenticeship Perspective (Educational Theory of Apprenticeship) – a translation of informal practices associated with Apprenticeship (see above) into a formal, structured theory of education – one that eschews direct instruction and that emphasizes situated training, real tasks, and opportunities to specialize
Organizational Communication
Published February 5, 2024Organizational Communication (Herbert Simon, 1940s) – the study of information flow within and among organizations, typically blending insights from Communication Theory and Organizational Learning
Hypothesis Theory
Published February 5, 2024Hypothesis Theory (Martin Levine, 1960s) – the suggestion that learning – which is assumed to be association-making – involves generating and testing series of hypotheses to distinguish what is salient and what is irrelevant among presented stimuli
Power Law of Practice
Published February 5, 2024Power Law of Practice (George Snoddy, 1920s) – in everyday terms, improvements in one’s performance tend to be rapid and significant when one begins to practice, and increasingly minor with more extensive practice – which, in effect, is a description of the first of the Learning Curves shown above.. In more technical terms, the logarithms of “number of trials” and “reaction time” […]
Learning Shock
Published February 5, 2024Learning Shock (Dorothy Griffiths, Diana Winstanley, 2010s) – the negative emotions (e.g., confusion, anxiety, frustration) that may be triggered when experiencing excessive, unfamiliar, ambiguous, and/or unpredictable events in an educational context
Seductive Details (Fictitious Inducements to Attention)
Published February 5, 2024Seductive Details (Fictitious Inducements to Attention) (John Dewey, 1910s) – irrelevant adornments (e.g., contextualization, illustrations, animations, sound) that are added to lessons and learning tasks in efforts to make them more engaging. While sometimes motivating to learners, Seductive Details have been associated with poorer retention, diminished transfer, and reduced attentiveness.
Reflective Learning
Published February 5, 2024Reflective Learning (Evelyn Boyd, 1980s) – the incorporation of deliberate reflection on one’s learning experiences. Reflective Learning is often associated with Metacognition and with Transformative Learning.
Video-Based Reflection
Published February 5, 2024Video-Based Reflection (various, 2000s) – a type of Reflective Practice that’s based on video recordings rather than journaling or other means of tracking memories and insights
Phenomenography
Published January 30, 2024Phenomenography (Ference Marton, 1980s) – oriented by the observation that different learners learn different things when experiencing near-identical circumstances, a framework for research into learning that asserts researchers/teachers should base their understanding of “learning” (1) on students’ actual experiences (2) in relation to specific content (3) being studied in particular situations
Aptitude-Treatment Interaction Theory
Published January 30, 2024Aptitude-Treatment Interaction Theory (Lee Cronbach, Richard Snow, 1970s) – the perspective that Optimal Learning (in the sense of “best learning possible”) will happen with the mode of instruction is matched to learner aptitudes and learning styles.
Innovation Network
Published January 30, 2024Innovation Network – a collaborative association of diverse agents and/or organizations whose shared work is explicitly about generating something that is not achievable by working in isolation
Sociotechnical Systems Theory
Published January 30, 2024Sociotechnical Systems Theory (Eric Trist, Ken Bamforth, Fred Emery, 1940s) – a systems perspective (see Complex Systems Research) on organizations, the core assertion of which is that efforts to understand and improve an organization must treat its social and technical aspects as interdependent and inextricably intertwined
Team-Based Learning
Published January 30, 2024Team-Based Learning (Larry Michaelson, 1970s) – a structured approach to Collaborative Learning that attends to group formation (careful and equitable), individual accountability (for preparation and participation), assignment structures (that promote teamwork and learning), and feedback (that should be immediate and frequent)
Urban Pedagogy
Published January 30, 2024Urban Pedagogy (Walter Benjamin, 1930s) – an educational attitude that embraces and spills into the urban ethos that it occupies, attending in particular to the manners in which urban spaces frame one’s perceptions and possibilities
Socio-Materialism (Sociomaterialism; Sociomateriality)
Published January 30, 2024Socio-Materialism (Sociomaterialism; Sociomateriality) (Wanda Orlikowski, 2000s) – a perspective that frames human actions and interactions as constituted by the sociality and materiality of technologies and organizations
Dyad Pedagogy
Published January 30, 2024Dyad Pedagogy (Lloyd Sherman, 1990s) – randomly assigned pairings to work through inquiry-type problems
Learning Cell
Published January 30, 2024Learning Cell (Shengquan Yu, 2010s) – a structure of interaction between two learners, who ask one another questions about materials that both have read
Initiative-Based Learning
Published January 30, 2024Initiative-Based Learning (various, early 1900s) – an educational approach that emphasizes student initiative and active participation in the learning process by involving learners in local-scale, sustainability-themed, and action-oriented projects that may involve businesses, government agencies, and other organizations
Knowledge-Creating Company (Knowledge Creation Spiral)
Published January 29, 2024Knowledge-Creating Company (Knowledge Creation Spiral) (Ikujiro Nonaka, Hirotaka Takeuchi, 1990s) – a model of innovation processes based on a “knowledge creation spiral” that involves four types of “conversion” – in sequence: Socialization (spread of tacit knowledge); Externalization (from tacit to explicit); Combination (from explicit to explicit); Internalization (from explicit to tacit)
Starbursting
Published January 22, 2024Starbursting – a Brainstorming strategy aimed at understanding a problem more deeply by generating relevant questions about it (rather than focusing on solutions)
Reverse Brainstorming
Published January 22, 2024Reverse Brainstorming (unknown, 1970s) – a Brainstorming strategy focused on identifying how problems might be made worse, thus potentially leading to unconventional solutions through radically divergent thinking
Gamestorming
Published January 22, 2024Gamestorming (Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo, 2010s) – a Brainstorming strategy that emphasized collaborative innovation by exploiting principles of Games and Learning
Brainsteering
Published January 22, 2024Brainsteering (Kevin Coyne, Shawn Coyne, 2010s) – a Brainstorming strategy concerned with “inside the box” thinking by framing participation with well-defined contexts and issues
Question-Based Learning
Published January 22, 2024Question-Based Learning (Terrell Heick, 2020s) – a type of Inquiry-Based Learning that’s focused on supporting learners in forming and refining guiding questions
Fear Zone (Panic Zone)
Published January 22, 2024Fear Zone (Panic Zone) – the space of debilitating novelty, associated with likely failure, trauma, stress, and emotional overload
Learning Zone (Growth Zone)
Published January 22, 2024Learning Zone (Growth Zone) – the space of productive novelty, associated with curiosity, manageable problems/challenges, experimentation, new skills, and deeper insights
Comfort Zone
Published January 22, 2024Comfort Zone – the space of the familiar, associated with routine, safety, low risk, freedom from judgment, relaxation, and rejuvenation – but also limited reward
Learning Zone Model
Published January 22, 2024Learning Zone Model (Tom Senninger, 1990s) – a three-tiered model, often presented as nested regions, that locates the optimal place for learning (the Learning Zone) between a low-risk Comfort Zone and a high-risk Fear Zone
Teacher Cognition
Published January 16, 2024Teacher Cognition (Simon Borg, 2000s) – those traits of teachers that influence their attitudes and practices, including knowledge base, beliefs, philosophies, identifications, and positionalities
Science of Learning and Development (SoLD)
Published December 28, 2023Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) – an area of inquiry that combines Neuroscience, Psychology, and Learning Sciences
Bichronous Learning
Published December 27, 2023Bichronous Learning – a combination of Asynchronous Learning (see above) and Synchronous Learning (see below)
Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses Model (PSW)
Published December 27, 2023Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses Model (PSW) – an approach to defining learning difficulties that’s based on considerations of both the learner’s strengths and the learner’s deficits
Discrepancy Model
Published December 27, 2023Discrepancy Model – an approach to defining learning difficulties that’s based on the difference between intellectual ability (typically, IQ) and performance (typically, academic achievement)
Neurotypicality (Neurologically Typical; Neurotypical)
Published December 27, 2023Neurotypicality (Neurotypical) – a term coined as the complement of Neurodiverse – that is, referring to individuals who do no manifest any neurologically atypical thoughts or behaviors
Rhythmic Intelligence
Published December 19, 2023Rhythmic Intelligence (Michel Alhadeff-Jones, 2020s) – individual and/or collective ability to manage transformational processes by attending to and working with/in the systemic rhythms that operate in their lives
Neurodecolonization
Published December 17, 2023Neurodecolonization (Michael Yellow Bird, 2020s) – a combination of sacred and secular Mindfulnesspractices aimed at interrupting and reformatting colonialist patterns of thought and behavior that are literally structured into brains
Pedagogy of the Privileged
Published December 14, 2023Pedagogy of the Privileged (Ann Curry-Stevens, 2000s) – a mode of Critical Pedagogy that focuses on educating the privileged about the oppressed. The phrase is inspired by Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and the discourse is oriented by a recognition that the Critical Pedagogy literature tends to be dominated by concerns for educating the oppressed.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Published December 14, 2023Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire, 1970s) – the English title of Freire’s influential bestseller (Pedagogia do Oprimido, in the original Portuguese, published in 1968), and a reference to mode of Critical Pedagogy that focuses on the interrogating and reformatting the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized
Collective Responsibility
Published December 14, 2023Collective Responsibility – in the context of Discourses on Learning Collectives, the distribution of blame for a shortcoming or atrocity all members of collective (e.g., population, employee base, cultural group, school staff, classroom grouping, etc.)
Adaptive Performance
Published December 14, 2023Adaptive Performance (1990s) – a workplace-based construct used in reference to an employee’s ability to cope with stress, problems, and emergencies, as well as changes in personnel, roles, structures, technologies, and other demands
Online School (Cyber-School; e-School; Virtual School)
Published December 14, 2023Online School (Cyber-School; e-School; Virtual School) (2010s) – any formal organization that offers educational programming entirely (or principally) online. Online Schools are sometimes defined more broadly to include any educational activity that involves some sort of technology to enable communications between a teacher who is physically separated from students.
Digital Pedagogy
Published December 14, 2023Digital Pedagogy – most broadly, all intentional educational activity that’s mediated by digital technologies. In some contexts, Digital Pedagogy refers to research into the effective use of digital technologies for educational purposes.
Social Compensation
Published December 13, 2023Social Compensation (1990s) – when one or more individuals exerts more effort as part of a group than they would have exerted working alone.
Social Loafing
Published December 13, 2023Social Loafing (1970s)– when one or more individuals exerts less effort as part of a group than they would have exerted working alone. Social Loafing is sometimes used to explain those occasions that a collection of people accomplishes less than the combined output of the same people working individually.
Bystander Effect (Bystander Apathy)
Published December 13, 2023Bystander Effect (Bystander Apathy) (John Darley, Bibb Latané, 1960s) – the observation that individuals are less likely to assist a victim when there are other people present
Audience Effect
Published December 13, 2023Audience Effect (Norman Triplett, 1890s) – the type of Social Facilitation that occurs when one has an audience
Cognitive Demand (Cognitively Demanding Instruction; Cognitively Demanding Tasks)
Published December 12, 2023Cognitive Demand (Cognitively Demanding Tasks) (Margaret Schwan Smith, Mary Kay Stein, 1990s) – a descriptive reference to relative levels of analysis, application, memorization, and other mental engagements associated with an activity
Attractor State
Published December 12, 2023Attractor State (1980s) – a stable mode of systemic activity. Systems that have achieved Attractor States tend to remain stable, even when modestly disturbed.
Stratification Theories
Published December 10, 2023Stratification Theories (Karl Marx, 1850s) – explanations for observations of social and/or economic differences among different social and/or cultural groups, typically articulated in terms of differentiated access to resources and opportunities
Cumulative Advantage (Accumulated Advantage; Matthew Effect; Matthew Principle)
Published December 10, 2023Cumulative Advantage (Accumulated Advantage; Matthew Effect; Matthew Principle) (Robert Merton, 1980s) – a formalization of the adage “the rich get richer” – that is, the observation that the already-advantaged are more likely to accrue further advantage
Cumulative Disadvantage Theory (Cumulative Inequality Theory)
Published December 10, 2023Cumulative Disadvantage Theory (Cumulative Inequality Theory) (Robert Merton, 1980s) – a systems-leaning (see Complex Systems Research) perspective on how social and economic inequalities emerge and amplify to systematically disadvantage specific individuals and/or subpopulations.
Contextual Constructivism
Published December 8, 2023Contextual Constructivism (William Cobern, 1990s) – a Socio-Cultural Theory that embraces the dynamics and foci of Radical Constructivism while layering in emphases on cultural frame and situational influence.
Thin Slicing
Published December 7, 2023Thin Slicing (Nalini Ambady, Robert Rosenthal, 1990s) – a term from Psychology referring to the capacity to make rapid (“gut”) decisions based on very narrow window of experience (i.e., “thin slices” of information). For experts, Thin Slicing has been proven to be similarly accurate to decisions made over longer periods and based on much more information. Within education, the term has taken […]
Open Question
Published December 1, 2023Open Question (Carol Ann Tomlinson) – questions that permit (and, perhaps, invite) different answers, interpretations, and/or strategies – in the process, affording possibilities for adapting tasks to individual learners
Parallel Tasks
Published December 1, 2023Parallel Tasks (Carol Ann Tomlinson) – questions about the same concept or topic that are differentiated in ways intended to accommodate to variations in readiness, interests, or profiles among learners
Settler Colonial Education
Published November 29, 2023Settler Colonial Education – educational systems established by settler colonial societies in territories they have colonized. Typically, the phrase is used to foreground concerns with the imposition of colonialist values, assimilationist policies, land appropriation, and suppression of Indigenous sensibilities, along with hopes for resistance, resilience, and reconciliation.
Pedagogy of Confidence (Confidence Pedagogy)
Published November 29, 2023Pedagogy of Confidence (Yvette Jackson, 2010s) – an educational approach that aims at nurturing confidence in students from marginalized and/or underserved subpopulations. Points of emphasis include cultural relevance, responsive teaching, and the setting of high expectations.
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Published November 29, 2023Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy – (Django Paris, 2010s) – an educational approach that aims to affirm, nurture, and maintain linguistic and cultural pluralism across identities, experiences, and communities
Civic Engagement (Civic Participation)
Published November 29, 2023Civic Engagement (Civic Participation) – broadly speaking, any activity oriented by matters of public concern, including any individual or collective effort aimed at positively influencing a community
Racial Literacy
Published November 29, 2023Racial Literacy (France Winddance Twine, 1990s) – principles and learning activities designed to support children’s abilities to recognize, interpret, and counter instances and acts of racism
Nepantla
Published November 28, 2023Nepantla (Gloria Anzaldùa, 1980s) – a Nahuatl word meaning “middle” or “in the middle of,” a reference to the sorts of self-awareness and personal transformations that can be prompted by questioning foundational beliefs, practices, and roles as encountered in one’s familial, social, linguistic, and educational spheres
Conocimiento
Published November 28, 2023Conocimiento (Gloria Anzaldùa, 1990s) – a Spanish word, sometimes translated as “knowledge,” used to refer to an educational emphasis on coming to know oneself (and/or self-healing) in relationship with others. Conocimiento is seen as inner work that unfolds during social activity.
Learning Embodied Activity Framework (LEAF)
Published November 28, 2023Learning Embodied Activity Framework (LEAF) (Joshua Danish, Noel Enyedy, Asmalina Saleh, 2020s) – a mashup of several prominent Embodiment Discourses and Embeddedness Discourses that is focused on offering pragmatic design advice for educators
Embodied Design
Published November 28, 2023Embodied Design – an explicit blending of insights from Embodied Cognition with principles of Learning Design – that is, in effect, another name for Learning Design
Emotional Agility
Published November 28, 2023Emotional Agility (Susan David, 2010s) – a near synonym of Emotional Intelligence that focuses on using one’s emotions as information to guide decisions rather than striving to manage or alter emotional responses
Integrated Information Theory
Published November 28, 2023Integrated Information Theory (Giulio Tononi, 2000s) – the suggestion that consciousness/mind is an emergent phenomenon, arising in the harmonious co-activity of neural networks. The associated mathematical model is intended to explain and assess the consciousness of a system, based on the relationships among past, present, and future states of its physical components.
Friend
Published November 28, 2023Friend – a trauma response revolving around pleas for assistance and reliance on others
Flop
Published November 28, 2023Flop – a trauma response involving disengagement (of attention, emotion, participation, etc.)
Fawn
Published November 28, 2023Fawn – a trauma response focused on trying to appease the threat
Principled Innovation®
Published November 28, 2023Principled Innovation® (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University) – a copyrighted approach to Universal Design that emphasizes attending to moral, civic, intellectual, and performance considerations
Teaching Sprint
Published November 28, 2023Teaching Sprint (Simon Breakspear, 2020s) – an approach to team-based collaboration comprising three phrases: Prepare (co-defining a focus), Sprint (implementing proposed innovations), Review (reflecting on efforts)
Adversarial Collaboration
Published November 28, 2023Adversarial Collaboration – a process in which supporters of opposing theories co-design a research study that simultaneously tests predictions based on those theories
Self-Awareness
Published November 28, 2023Self-Awareness – a form of Consciousness associated with not just having an experience but with experiencing the experience – that is, knowing that one is having an experience
Integrated Information Theory
Published November 28, 2023Integrated Information Theory (Giulio Tononi, 2000s) – the suggestion that consciousness/mind is an emergent phenomenon, arising in the harmonious co-activity of neural networks. The associated mathematical model is intended to explain and assess the consciousness of a system, based on the relationships among past, present, and future states of its physical components.
Principled Innovation®
Published November 28, 2023Principled Innovation® (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University) – a copyrighted approach to Universal Design that emphasizes attending to moral, civic, intellectual, and performance considerations
Learning Embodied Activity Framework (LEAF)
Published November 28, 2023Learning Embodied Activity Framework (LEAF) (Joshua Danish, Noel Enyedy, Asmalina Saleh, 2020s) – a mashup of several prominent Embodiment Discourses and Embeddedness Discourses that is focused on offering pragmatic design advice for educators
Embodied Design
Published November 28, 2023Embodied Design – an explicit blending of insights from Embodied Cognition with principles of Learning Design – that is, in effect, another name for Learning Design
Emotional Agility
Published November 28, 2023Emotional Agility (Susan David, 2010s) – a near synonym of Emotional Intelligence that focuses on using one’s emotions as information to guide decisions rather than striving to manage or alter emotional responses
Friend
Published November 28, 2023Friend – a trauma response revolving around pleas for assistance and reliance on others
Flop
Published November 28, 2023Flop – a trauma response involving disengagement (of attention, emotion, participation, etc.)
Fawn
Published November 28, 2023Fawn – a trauma response focused on trying to appease the threat
Teaching Sprint
Published November 28, 2023Teaching Sprint (Simon Breakspear, 2020s) – an approach to team-based collaboration comprising three phrases: Prepare (co-defining a focus), Sprint (implementing proposed innovations), Review (reflecting on efforts)
Adversarial Collaboration
Published November 28, 2023Adversarial Collaboration – a process in which supporters of opposing theories engage co-design a research study that simultaneously tests predictions based on those theories
Self-Awareness
Published November 28, 2023Self-Awareness – a form of consciousness associated with not just having an experience but with experiencing the experience – that is, knowing that one is having an experience
Prompt Engineering
Published October 25, 2023Prompt Engineering (2020s) – the process of designing a sequence of prompts to attain a desired output from an AI system
Critical Constructionism
Published October 24, 2023Critical Constructionism (Robert Heiner, 2000s) – a blend of Conflict Theories and Symbolic Interactionism that casts social problems as precipitated and defined by the interests of the powerful – and, hence, operating at the expense of those not in power
Ontological Categories
Published October 22, 2023Ontological Categories (Edmund Husserl, 1910s) – the most general of categories, which in turn correlate of types of meanings. Examples include object, attribute, event, relation, concept, and process. Ontological Categories are used to organize, develop, and contrast understandings of reality.
Indexical Understanding (Indexical Hypothesis)
Published October 22, 2023Indexical Understanding (Indexical Hypothesis) (Arthur Glenberg, 1990s) – the suggestion that “indexing” – that is, associating a word with an experience or object — affords meaning, enables comprehension, and guides one’s interpretations of a language
Constitution Hypothesis
Published October 21, 2023Constitution Hypothesis (Lawrence Shapiro, 2010s) – the suggestion that the dynamic body and the responsive environment constitute cognition (vs. are factors in or components of cognition)
Replacement Hypothesis
Published October 21, 2023Replacement Hypothesis (Lawrence Shapiro, 2010s) – an explicit rejection of most Mentalisms, along with their assumptions of internal representations and computational processes, in the suggestion that cognition can be defined in terms of the (inter)actions of an agent (with)in its environment
Conceptualization Hypothesis
Published October 21, 2023Conceptualization Hypothesis (Lawrence Shapiro, 2010s) – the suggestion that one’s body defines (i.e., enables and constrains) possible thoughts/understandings. That is, organisms with very different types of bodies would likely interpret their “realities” very differently.
Cognitive Offloading
Published October 21, 2023Cognitive Offloading – any act that reduces the mental demands of a task, such as making lists, taking pictures, or asking others to help keep track of details
Learning Study
Published October 20, 2023Learning Study (Mun Ling Lo, Ference Marton, 2010s) – a form of Lesson Study that is explicitly focused on using Variation Theory to structure students’ learning experiences
Hallucination
Published October 15, 2023Hallucination (Andrej Karpathy, 2010s) – an AI-generated response that is fictional but presented as factual
Kaizen
Published October 13, 2023Kaizen (Japan) – a Japanese word that might be translated as “continuous change for the better.” It is a notion borrowed by formal education from business and manufacturing, used to refer to not just to individual learning, but to steady, incremental improvements to all aspects of the educational process.
Systematic Errors
Published October 12, 2023Systematic Errors – errors with an identifiable cause and that generate results that are consistently inaccurate (e.g., too high, or too low)
Intentional Error
Published October 12, 2023Intentional Error – deliberately making a mistake in front of students for some pedagogical reason (which can range from checking on whether they’re paying attention to gauging their conceptual understanding of the topic at hand)
Error Analysis
Published October 12, 2023Error Analysis – a variously defined term. Among educators, two prominent usages have to do with (1) working backward with students to identify the roots of their errors, and (2) an analytical method that involves tracking a learner’s errors, aiming to determine if those errors are systematic and, if so, to identify their origins
Type III Error
Published October 12, 2023Type III Error – technically, correctly rejecting the null hypothesis but for the wrong reason (colloquially, asking the wrong question but getting the right answer; illustratively, identifying someone as ill but misdiagnosing the illness)
Type II Error (False Negative)
Published October 12, 2023Type II Error (False Negative) – technically, failing to reject the null hypothesis that is false (illustratively, diagnosing an ill person as healthy)
Type I Error (False Positive)
Published October 12, 2023Type I Error (False Positive) – technically, rejecting the null hypothesis that is true (illustratively, diagnosing a healthy person is as ill)
Blunders (Gross Errors)
Published October 12, 2023Blunders (Gross Errors) – outright errors that are not consistent enough to be classified as Systematic Errors and not frequent enough to be classified as Random Errors
Random Errors
Published October 12, 2023Random Errors – errors without an easily identifiable cause that contribute to random fluctuations in measurements (e.g., half are too high, and half are too low)
Theoretical Errors
Published October 12, 2023Theoretical Errors – errors introduced through relying on an inappropriate model or set of equations
Environmental Errors
Published October 12, 2023Environmental Errors – errors introduced by failing to notice or manage an external influence
Observational Errors
Published October 12, 2023Observational Errors – inaccurate measurements by the observer
Instrumental Errors
Published October 12, 2023Instrumental Errors – errors that are due to a flawed instrument
Experimental Errors
Published October 12, 2023Experimental Errors – any type of error that can arise in the context of a deliberately structured scientific experiment
Misunderstanding
Published October 12, 2023Misunderstanding – any of the above (Compare Understanding, under Deep vs. Surface Learning.)
Misrepresentation
Published October 12, 2023Misrepresentation – a flawed, false, or misleading account (See also Misinformation and Disinformation, under DIKW Pyramid.)
Misperception
Published October 12, 2023Misperception – a flaw of noticing, owing to either missing a critical detail or projecting an irrelevant detail (Compare Perception, under Cognitive Science.)
Misinterpretation
Published October 12, 2023Misinterpretation – failure to make appropriate sense of an event, typically due to assuming or imposing inappropriate associations
Misconception
Published October 12, 2023Misconception – demonstrably flawed belief about some aspect of reality (Compare Concept, under Conceptual Change.)
Systemic Mistakes
Published October 12, 2023Systemic Mistakes – errors that are due to a faulty system in which one is operating
Stretch Mistakes (Beginner Mistakes)
Published October 12, 2023Stretch Mistakes (Beginner Mistakes) – mistakes that occur when one engages with new or otherwise challenging content or situations (i.e., that are associated with unnoticed subtleties, unrecognized complexities, unmastered skills, and other sorts of unfamiliarity)
Sloppy Mistakes (Lazy Mistakes; Messy Mistakes; Performance Mistakes)
Published October 12, 2023Sloppy Mistakes (Lazy Mistakes; Messy Mistakes; Performance Mistakes) – mistakes made while performing familiar, well-learned tasks
A-Ha Mistakes (Mysterious Mistakes)
Published October 12, 2023A-Ha Mistakes (Mysterious Mistakes) – the recognition of a mistaken assumption or a missed detail – typically triggered when an uncritical action or interpretation yields an unexpected result. Subtypes include:
Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku)
Published October 11, 2023Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) – the practice of immersing oneself in a forest or other natural environment to promote health and wellness. The practice is associated with reducing stress, increasing creativity, and promoting Mindfulness.
5E Instructional Model
Published October 11, 20235E Instructional Model (Rodger Bybee, 2000s) – standing for Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation, a five-stage model for teaching that’s intended to blend Deeper Learning with emergent trends in STEM education
Assembly Theory
Published October 5, 2023Assembly Theory (Leroy Cronin, 2020s) – a perspective on the emergence of complexity in nature, as governed by the laws of evolution. Assembly Theory proposes indices that suggest how complex the assembly of a form (e.g., molecule) might be, which in term is offered as an indicator of the probability that form is associated with a living entity. Assembly Theory was developed […]
Motivated Reasoning Theory (Motivational Reasoning Bias)
Published October 4, 2023Motivated Reasoning Theory (Motivational Reasoning Bias) – the suggestion that one’s choice among Modes of Reasoning in a specific situation is affected by one’s intentions, motivations, emotional mindset, belief system, and other non-rational influences
Wilcox’s Ladder of Participation
Published October 3, 2023Wilcox’s Ladder of Participation (David Wilcox, 1990s) – a 5-rung model based on Arnstein’s Ladder (see above): (1) Information-Giving – citizens are informed of plans; (2) Consultation – citizens are invited to provide opinions on specified aspects of plans; (3) Deciding Together – citizens are involved in planning; (4) Acting Together – citizens are involved in carrying out plans; (5) Support – […]
Ladder of Children’s Participation (Hart’s Ladder of Participation; Ladder of Youth Participation)
Published October 3, 2023Ladder of Children’s Participation (Hart’s Ladder of Participation; Ladder of Youth Participation) (Roger Hart, 1990s) – a 8-level taxonomy of modes of children’s participation in projects. The first six rungs involve adult-initiated projects: (1) Manipulation – children don’t understand their roles); (2) Decoration – children are involved to bolster a cause; (3) Tokenism – children are positioned to represent their age-group; (4) […]
Ladder of Community Engagement
Published October 3, 2023Ladder of Community Engagement (various, 2000s) – a 6-rung model: (1) Discovery/Observing (learning about a community); (2) Following/Subscribing (visiting regularly and deepening relationships); (3) Interacting/Contributing (becoming comfortable and indicating a readiness to join); (4) Sharing/Endorsing (engaging in activities that might entice others to join); (5) Facilitating/Supporting (strengthening the community by enabling other members to participate more deeply); (6) Leading (moderating the community […]
Citizen Power
Published October 3, 2023Citizen Power – (Sherry Arnstein, 1960s) – modes of public participation in which citizens are genuinely and effectively involved with those in authority
Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation (Ladder of Public Participation)
Published October 3, 2023Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation (Ladder of Public Participation) (Sherry Arnstein, 1960s) – a set of eight categories of participation, organized from modes that are disingenuous to those that are real and effective. Three clusters of levels are proposed: Nonparticipation (Sherry Arnstein, 1960s) – modes of public participation in which officials offer citizens only contrived and manipulative forms of engagement: Manipulation – […]
Ladder of Engagement (Engagement Ladder Theory)
Published October 3, 2023Ladder of Engagement (Engagement Ladder Theory) – any framework in which modes of engagement are distinguished, usually for the purpose of devising strategies to enhance participation. Many, many models have been developed – varying according to ranges of purposes and intentions, as illustrated by the examples below:
Complexity Leadership Theory
Published October 3, 2023Complexity Leadership Theory (Mary Uhl-Bien, Russ Marion, 2000s) – an attempt to incorporate principles of Complex Systems Research into leadership practices. Recommendations vary considerably from one version to another, but consistent advice is focused on “flattening” the organization (i.e., reducing hierarchical structures), maintaining adaptability to pursue emergent opportunities, and enabling subgroups to self-organize around matters of shared interest
Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning (CETL; Community-Engaged Learning; CEL)
Published October 2, 2023Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning (CETL; Community-Engaged Learning; CEL) – as the title suggests, an approach to teaching and educational programming that is meaningfully attentive to aligning emphases and outcomes with community-identified needs. Some models of CETL also emphasize scholarly inquiry, professional learning, and/or matters of social justice.
Gilligan’s Theory of Moral Development
Published October 2, 2023Gilligan’s Theory of Moral Development (Carol Gilligan, 1980s) – a revision of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Moral Develop Theorythat began with a concern that the original theory was founded on research with males only. Gilligan’s model was based on research with women. It follows Kohlberg’s stages, adding qualifications to each stage and inserting “transitions” between them: Preconventional Level (Preconventional Morality)– as described above. In Gilligan’s […]
Ego Depletion
Published October 2, 2023Ego Depletion (Roy Baumeister, 2000s) – rooted in an analogy to a muscle that can be strengthened or fatigued, the debated suggestion that one’s “ego” (in this instance, referring to self-control, willpower, and other traits associated with Self-Efficacy) can be depleted, leading to impaired decision-making
Choice Architecture
Published October 2, 2023Choice Architecture (various, 2010s) – the design considerations around the presentation of sets of options to decision-makers, which might include details such as the number of choices made available, descriptions of those choices, and the identification of a “default”
Liberal Paternalism
Published October 2, 2023Liberal Paternalism (Richard Thaler, Cass Sunstein, 2000s) – the practice of making subtle changes to another’s environment with a view toward encouraging better choices. The notion combines “paternalism” (in the sense of limiting the choices of another, “for their own good”) and “libertarianism” (in the sense of ensuring one’s right to opt out of specified arrangements)
Cover, Copy, Compare
Published September 30, 2023Cover, Copy, Compare – a Rote Learning strategy, most frequently mentioned in relation to mastery of spelling, sight-reading, and calculation skills, that involves (1) presenting a sequence of correct examples in the left column of a two-column chart; (2) in sequence, and after observing an example, covering it; (3) replicating it in the cell to the right; and (4) checking the copy […]
Positive Liberty
Published September 30, 2023Positive Liberty (Guido De Ruggiero, 1940s) – being empowered to act, subject to contextual and/or societal constraints
Negative Liberty
Published September 30, 2023Negative Liberty (Guido De Ruggiero, 1940s) – freedom from externally imposed constraints on one’s thoughts and actions
SOGI
Published September 30, 2023SOGI (SOGI Education) (2010s) – an acronym for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, used to label an emphasis in Inclusive Education with those foci
Anthropo-Complexity
Published September 29, 2023Anthro-Complexity (Dave Snowden, 2020s) – the domains of complexity that have been influenced or shaped by human Modes of Reasoning, which are argued to be characteristically distinct from both biological systems (e.g., those associated with insects or jungle ecosystems) and agent-based computational models
Theory of Instruction (Direct Instruction)
Published September 27, 2023Theory of Instruction (Direct Instruction) (Siegfried Engelmann, Douglas Carnine, 1980s) – a model of instruction rooted in two convictions about learning: (1) one can learn about any specific feature through appropriate examples; (2) one can develop conceptual understandings by generalizing common features across sets of appropriate examples (Note that the meaning of Direct Instruction associated with this theory is distinct from most popular […]
Mindfulness-Based Wellness Education (MBWE)
Published September 26, 2023Mindfulness-Based Wellness Education (MBWE) (Corey Mackenzie, Geoff Soloway, Patricia Poulin, 2000s) – a program intended for teachers and other human-service professionals that aims to cultivate one’s awareness of wellness across physical, cognitive, social, emotional, relational, professional, spiritual, and ecological dimensions
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Published September 26, 2023Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) (Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1970s) – a program that employs a range of Mindfulness practices – including meditation, yoga, somatic breathing, and reflexive examination of patterns of acting, thinking, and feeling – to help individuals address stress, anxiety
Comprehensive Approach to Learning Mindfulness (CALM)
Published September 26, 2023Comprehensive Approach to Learning Mindfulness (CALM) (Tish Jennings, 2020s) – a program involving brief daily interventions that include yoga, somatic breathing, intention-setting, and caring practices
Community Approach to Learning Mindfully (CALM)
Published September 26, 2023Community Approach to Learning Mindfully (CALM) (Deb Schussler, 2010s) – a program involving brief training sessions in Mindfulness that happen just before the school day starts and that focus on intentional breathing, gentle yoga, and intention setting
CBR (Contemplative-Based Resilience)
Published September 25, 2023CBR (Contemplative-Based Resilience) (Sharon Salzberg, 2000s) – a program aimed at nurturing resilience, emphasizing understanding of the neurobiology and psychology of stress, mindfulness activities, and relationships
CARE (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education)
Published September 25, 2023CARE (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education) (Patricia Jennings, Christa Turksma, Richard Brown, 2010s) – a professional development program for teachers, focused on well-being, motivation, efficacy, communication, and mindfulness of emotions
BRiTE (Building Resilience in Teacher Education)
Published September 25, 2023BRiTE (Building Resilience in Teacher Education) (Caroline Mansfield, 2010s) – a program focused on building resilience through nurturing relationships, well-being, motivation, and mindfulness of emotions
Social-Network Therapy
Published September 25, 2023Social-Network Therapy – a type of individual Psychotherapy that includes group sessions involving others who are in significant relationships with the client
Network Therapy
Published September 25, 2023Network Therapy – an approach to individual or family Psychotherapy that might involve members of the immediate and extended family, friends, neighbors, and others as supports
Algorithmic Bias
Published September 24, 2023Algorithmic Bias (2000s) – a reference to systematic errors in AI systems that might generate distorted and/or unjust results.
Algorithmic Transparency (Algorithmic Accountability)
Published September 23, 2023Algorithmic Transparency (Algorithmic Accountability) (Nicholas Diakopoulos, Michael Koliska, 2010s) – the assertion that the principles by which I systems make decisions should be explicit and clear to those who use, oversee, and/or are affected by those systems
Digital Rights
Published September 22, 2023Digital Rights (World Summit on the Information of Society [WSIS], 2000s) – the extent to which one can access, utilize, and contribute to digital resources (inc. media, devices, networks, etc.) while maintaining conventional rights (e.g., to privacy, to self-expression, to ownership of personal information)
Algorithmic Justice
Published September 22, 2023Algorithmic Justice (Joy Buolamwini, 2010s) – a commitment to mitigating possible harms of those AI systems that are trained on large data sets by monitoring, regulating, and addressing biases that might be present in and picked up from those sets
Science of Learning
Published September 20, 2023Science of Learning (2010s) – effectively, “Applied Cognitive Science” – that is, those insights from Cognitive Science that pertain specifically to the processes of student learning and their implications for teaching
Knowledge in Structures (Knowledge-in-Structures)
Published September 20, 2023Knowledge in Structures (Knowledge-in-Structures) – a category invented to collect discourses on learning that are seen to have a particular contrast to Knowledge in Pieces – namely, those perspectives that characterize personal understanding in terms of interconnected conceptual frameworks/theories (i.e., distinct from the suggestion that students’ understandings tend to be loosely structured, context-specific, and often independent pieces of knowledge)
Syntax
Published September 18, 2023Syntax – having to do with combining words into phrases and sentences, which includes such sub-concerns as grammar, sentence structure, and word order
Morphology
Published September 18, 2023Morphology – having to do with words – specifically, how word choice, emphasis, and pronunciation can affect a word’s meaning
Phonology
Published September 18, 2023Phonology – having to do with the study of sound patterns and structures
Phonetics
Published September 18, 2023Phonetics – having to do with distinct speech sounds, including the study of human perception and production of such sounds
Encore Years (Adulthood II; Encore Adulthood; Second Adulthood; Third Chapter)
Published September 17, 2023Encore Years (Adulthood II; Encore Adulthood; Second Adulthood; Third Chapter) (Phyllis Moen, 2010s) – a life stage between conventional full-time career and what used to be thought of as old age; marked by post-midlife reorientation (new careers, education, purpose)
Paradigmatic Mode (Paradigmatic Mode of Thinking)
Published September 17, 2023Paradigmatic Mode (Paradigmatic Mode of Thinking) (Jerome Bruner, 1960s) – a mode of knowing oriented toward and by the development of laws, predictive models, theories, concepts, and categories
Narrative Mode (Narrative Mode of Thinking)
Published September 17, 2023Narrative Mode (Narrative Mode of Thinking) (Jerome Bruner, 1960s) – a mode of knowing that relies on story-crafting and story-telling to enable the teller to render coherence from their particular and perhaps-anomalous experiences
Developmental Crisis
Published September 17, 2023Developmental Crisis (Erik Erikson, 1960s) – a challenge rooted in biological and/or sociocultural forces – which, if successfully reconciled, affords a virtue which enables the individual to live a more adjusted existence
Performative Activism
Published September 13, 2023Performative Activism (Daniel Larkin, 2010s) – as the name suggests, activism that is untaken for selfish reasons, such as making a good impression or improving one’s status
Diversity Training
Published September 13, 2023Diversity Training – any program intended to positively influence beliefs, biases, practices, and/or structures that might negatively impact others’ experiences and contributions
Stupidity Metaphor
Published September 13, 2023Stupidity Metaphor – knocked out, stunned – from the Latin stupidus “struck senseless” (i.e., from a physical blow)
Atheism
Published September 12, 2023Atheism – meaning literally “not theism,” the conviction that existence can be explained without appealing to the metaphysical or the supernatural (i.e., a rejection of all the other entries included here under Religion)
Ignorance
Published September 12, 2023Ignorance (1300s) – a lack of knowledge or awareness. Ignorance originally meant “opposite of knowing” (combining Latin prefix in– and PIE root *gno-). The current pejorative associations to being ill-mannered and/or deliberately uninformed arose in the late 1800s.
Agnosticism
Published September 12, 2023Agnosticism (Thomas Henry Huxley, 1860s) – based on a Greek word meaning “unknown or unknowable” (combining Greek prefix a– and PIE root *gno-), an English word originally coined to signal the importance of “scientific grounds” to any claim to truth. It has since evolved to refer to topics and situations in which knowers’ conviction is “We cannot know”(i.e., unknowability) – versus, “We […]
Equal Opportunity
Published September 11, 2023Equal Opportunity – a form of Affirmative Action in which each person is treated and engaged according to the same criteria, regardless of age, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, social relationships, family connections, etc.
Angry White Male (Angry White Man)
Published September 11, 2023Angry White Male (Angry White Man) – a pejorative applied to caucasian males who openly lament perceived threats to privileges and powers traditionally associated with their racial and gender identifications (see Masculinities and Whiteness Studies, above)
Ethnic Penalty
Published September 11, 2023Ethnic Penalty – a construct from Sociology referring to non-cognitive factors that contribute to gaps (e.g., in wealth, achievement) between similarly-abled individuals from different ethnic groups
Reasonable Accommodation
Published September 11, 2023Reasonable Accommodation (United Nations, 2000s) – according to the UN’s the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, “necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms”
Necropolitics
Published September 10, 2023Necropolitics (Achille Mbembé, 2000s) – the wielding of social and political power to define the conditions of living (and dying) of others – who are differentiated mainly according to race
Ignorance Studies
Published September 10, 2023Ignorance Studies (various, 2020s) – an emergent, cross-disciplinary domain that pulls together theoretical and empirical studies of ignorance from across education, law, politics, science, and other areas
Affirmative Action (Positive Action; Positive Discrimination)
Published September 9, 2023Affirmative Action (Positive Action; Positive Discrimination) (Government of the United States, 1960s) – institutional and/or governmental policies and practices aimed at more proportional inclusion and/or more equitable treatment of populations that have been underrepresented and/or mistreated
Change Grid
Published September 9, 2023Change Grid (Cynthia Scott, Dennis Jaffe, 1980s) – a pathway through a 2 ´ 2 grid, depicting the change process as shifts from focusing on the past to focusing on the future (in the left-to-right motion) and from focusing on external dynamics to internal and back to external (in a down-up-down motion)
Classic Learning Test (CLT)
Published September 7, 2023Classic Learning Test (CLT) (Jeremy Tate, 2010s) – a standardized test focused on reading, writing, grammar, and mathematics, and based on the western canon
Speculative Pedagogy
Published September 6, 2023Speculative Pedagogy (Magnus Dahstedt, Mekonnen Tesfahuney, 2010s) – a perspective on formal education that is framed by metaphors and assumptions rooted in Neoliberalism, leading to such constructs of and concerns as capitalizing knowledge and realizing returns on educational investments (Note: Speculative Pedagogy should not be confused with Speculative Pedagogies, under Authentic Education.)
Speculative Pedagogies
Published September 6, 2023Speculative Pedagogies (Anetero Garcia, Nicole Mirra, 2020s) – an umbrella term for strategies for engaging learners that that embrace one or more elements of discourses included among Discourses on Individual Learning in Group Settings, Learning Design, and Activist Discourses (Note: Speculative Pedagogiesshould not be confused with Speculative Pedagogy, under Systemic Sustainability Education.)
Appeal to Tradition
Published August 30, 2023Appeal to Tradition – a type of Fallacious Reasoning by which a detail is taken to be true by virtue of having been assumed for a long time
Bandwagon
Published August 30, 2023Bandwagon – a type of Fallacious Reasoning based on a conflation of popularity and factuality
Red Herring
Published August 30, 2023Red Herring – a type of Fallacious Reasoning by which a conclusion is compromised by diverting the focus and/or the argument to irrelevant matters
Slippery Slope
Published August 30, 2023Slippery Slope – a type of Fallacious Reasoning that involves one or more dubious assumptions that are likely to seriously undermine any conclusion
Hasty Generalization
Published August 30, 2023Hasty Generalization – a type of Fallacious Reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn on an unjustifiably small number of occurrences
False Dichotomy (False Dilemma)
Published August 30, 2023False Dichotomy (False Dilemma) – a type of Fallacious Reasoning in which two choices (usually opposites) are presented as the only possible choices, even though other options are possible
Appeal to Ignorance
Published August 30, 2023Appeal to Ignorance – a type of Fallacious Reasoning in which either an argument is asserted false if it can’t be proven true or an argument is asserted true if it can’t be proven false
Appeal to Authority
Published August 30, 2023Appeal to Authority – a type of Fallacious Reasoning that asserts an argument must be true because it is associated with an expert or powerbroker
Straw Man
Published August 30, 2023Straw Man – a type of Fallacious Reasoning that involves criticizing an irrelevant aspect or a distorted version of an argument
Ad Hominem
Published August 30, 2023Ad Hominem – a type of Fallacious Reasoning that involves attacking of the person making an argument, rather than taking on the actual argument
Enfleshment
Published August 26, 2023Enfleshment (1980s) – a variously interpreted term that entered the educational literature as a synonym for Embodiment, but that is increasingly used to span sensibilities associated with Embodiment Discourses, Embeddedness Discourses, and Eco-Complexity Discourses. In particular, Enfleshment is coming to be associated with rejections of not just such dichotomies as mind/body and individual/collective, but also human/more-than-human, animate/inanimate, and sentient/mechanical.
Intelligent Design
Published August 22, 2023Intelligent Design (Nick Matzke, 1980s) – an attempt to explain life and other features of the universe by appealing to a higher power that created natural laws, oversees evolution, and intervenes miraculously
Teleonomy
Published August 22, 2023Teleonomy (Colin Pittendrigh, 1950s) – the recognition that natural evolutionary processes can appear to be (but are not) purpose-driven or goal-directed. The word is derived from the Greek telos- “end, goal, purpose” + nomos “law.”
Theistic Evolution (Evolutionary Creationism; God-Guided Evolution)
Published August 22, 2023Theistic Evolution (Evolutionary Creationism; God-Guided Evolution) – a version of evolutionary theory based on the assumption that a god created the laws of nature, which in turn drive evolution according to a predetermined purpose (See Theism, under Mysticism- & Religion- Aligned Discourses)
Orthogenesis (Evolutionary Progress; Orthogenetic Evoluution; Progressionism; Progressive Evolution)
Published August 22, 2023Orthogenesis (Evolutionary Progress; Orthogenetic Evoluution; Progressionism; Progressive Evolution) (Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, 1790s) – a version of evolutionary theory based on the assumption that organisms are innately driven to evolve in a predetermined direction
Teleology
Published August 22, 2023Teleology – the belief that natural evolutionary processes are purpose-driven or goal-directed. The word is derived from the Greek telos- “end, goal, purpose” + -logia “speak, tell.” Variations of Teleology include:
Evolution
Published August 22, 2023Evolution (1620s) – any process by which an organic form changes in response to situational conditions. The notion is based on the metaphor of “an opening of what was rolled up” (i.e., a scroll or book), and it was originally used in medicine and mathematics. It was first used to refer to living forms in the 1660s to describe the growth and […]
Hipster Effect (Anti-Conformist Effect)
Published August 18, 2023Hipster Effect (Anti-Conformist Effect) – when people who oppose a dominant culture begin to adhere to alternative (but nonetheless conformist) sets of opinions, looks, and activities
Interdisciplinary Learning [Theory]
Published August 16, 2023Interdisciplinary Learning [Theory] – an educational approach involving the integration of knowledge and methods from multiple disciplines. Interdisciplinary Learning is typically student-driven and issue-focused, oriented to holistic and comprehensive understanding of a topic or real-world problem.
Approximation Bias
Published August 15, 2023Approximation Bias (Samuel Gershman, 2020s) – the suggestion that humans take nonconscious mental shortcuts when making observations, due to limitations in cognitive resources. Approximation Bias is argued to be one of two fundamental principles (along with Inductive Bias) that govern human intelligence.
Inductive Bias
Published August 15, 2023Inductive Bias (Samuel Gershman, 2020s) – the suggestion that humans prefer or are predisposed to particular expectations or hypotheses, which orient subsequent observations and frame interpretations. Inductive Bias is argued to be one of two fundamental principles (along with Approximation Bias) that govern human intelligence.
Systemic Coaching
Published August 12, 2023Systemic Coaching – a Psychotherapy-based approach to understanding and improving team functioning that simultaneously focuses on individual well-being, interpersonal relationships, and collective dynamics.Systemic Coaching is informed by Complex Systems Research.
Group Therapy (Group Psychotherapy)
Published August 12, 2023Group Therapy (Group Psychotherapy) (1920s) – a group-based form of Psychotherapy that involves the deliberate use of relationships and group processes to influence personal functioning and well-being
Transgenerational Therapy
Published August 12, 2023Transgenerational Therapy – a mode of Family Therapy that focuses on problematical beliefs and patterns of behavior that families might maintain over generations
Structural Therapy
Published August 12, 2023Structural Therapy – a mode of Family Therapy that focuses on the structure (and possible re-structuring) of the family system
Strategic Therapy
Published August 12, 2023Strategic Therapy – a mode of Family Therapy that focuses on patterns of interaction among family members
Multiple Impact Therapy (Impact Therapy)
Published August 12, 2023Multiple Impact Therapy (Impact Therapy) (University of Texas, 1950s) – a focused, short-term Family Therapy technique designed for families in extreme crisis
Couples Therapy (Couples Counseling; Marriage Counseling; Marriage Therapy: Relationship Education; Relationship Therapy)
Published August 12, 2023Couples Therapy (Couples Counseling; Marriage Counseling; Marriage Therapy: Relationship Education; Relationship Therapy) (various, 1920s) – a mode of Family Therapy that focuses on the viability and maintenance of the principal, family-defining adult relationship
Family Therapy (Couple and Family Therapy; Family Counseling; Family Systems Therapy; Marriage and Family Therapy)
Published August 12, 2023Family Therapy (Couple and Family Therapy; Family Counseling; Family Systems Therapy; Marriage and Family Therapy) (various, late 1800s) – a branch of Psychotherapy concerned with the nurturing and development of relational dynamics among family members. Specific types include:
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Published August 12, 2023Interpersonal Psychotherapy (Gerald Klerman, Myrna Weissman, 1970s) – an ntensive form of Psychotherapy that focused on one’s interpersonal relationships as both sources of personal difficulties and sites of assistance
Internal Family Systems
Published August 11, 2023Internal Family Systems (Richard Schwartz, 1980s) – an approach to Psychotherapy built on the assumption that one’s mind is a system of many discrete and distinct subpersonalities. The approach draws on Systems Psychology to examine and influence the organization of these subpersonalities.
Quantum Information Science
Published August 11, 2023Quantum Information Science – a domain that blends quantum mechanics and Information Science (under Cybernetics)
Quantum Neuroscience (Quantum Neurobiology; Quantum Neurophysics)
Published August 11, 2023Quantum Neuroscience (Quantum Neurobiology; Quantum Neurophysics) (Christof Koch, Klaus Hepp, 2000s) – a domain concerned with potential quantum effects in the brain and the application of Quantum Information Science to Neuroscience
Few-Shot Learning (Low-Shot Learning)
Published August 7, 2023Few-Shot Learning – becoming able to make a critical discernment or identification on the basis of a just a few examples/experiences/encounters
One-Shot Learning
Published August 7, 2023One-Shot Learning – becoming able to make a critical discernment or identification on the basis of a single example/experience/encounter
Event-Based Learning
Published August 7, 2023Event-Based Learning – a subcategory of Case-Based Learning in which the “case” is an actual real-life situation or incident
Long-Term Depression
Published August 5, 2023Long-Term Depression – the weakening of communication between neurons weaken, most often due to disuse
Long-Term Potentiation
Published August 5, 2023Long-Term Potentiation – the strengthening of synaptic connections through repeated activation of neurons, prompting robust and enduring communications between them
Versatile Learning
Published August 5, 2023Versatile Learning Gordon Pask, 1970s) – an ideal manner of learning that modulates both detail-focused Serialist Learning and big-picture Holistic Learning
Holistic Learning
Published August 5, 2023Holistic Learning (Gordon Pask, 1970s) – a manner of engaging with an area of established knowledge that is oriented by higher-order relations
Serialist Learning
Published August 5, 2023Serialist Learning (Gordon Pask, 1970s) – a well-sequenced (but not necessarily linearized) engagement with an area of established knowledge
Identity Work
Published August 5, 2023Identity Work – not-necessarily-conscious efforts to modify one’s identity in order to establish or maintain acceptability in a given situation
Capacity Building (Capacity Development; Capacity Strengthening)
Published August 5, 2023Capacity Building (Capacity Development; Capacity Strengthening) (various, 1960s) – a metaphor for “learning” that’s applied across levels of organization (e.g., individuals, institutions, communities). Capacity Building is typically articulated and assessed in terms of productivity.
Boundary Crossing
Published August 5, 2023Boundary Crossing – most generally, the movement among or embrace of multiple Discourse Communities – such as, e.g., shifting from academic to non-academic contexts, moving across scholarly disciplines, traversing cultures, or working across more than one Community of Practice.
Boundary-Work
Published August 5, 2023Boundary-Work (Thomas Gieryn, 1980s) – the matter of Boundary Crossing in specific relation to questions of what can be (and can’t be) considered scientific
Boundary Object
Published August 5, 2023Boundary Object (Susan Star, James Griesemer, 1980s) – a phenomenon, either concrete (e.g., a technology, a map, a specimen) or abstract (e.g., an idea or belief) that can serve as a bridge between two sensibilities, communities, and/or cultures
Educational Trauma
Published July 21, 2023Educational Trauma – traumas rooted in experiencing any form of bias or oppression in an educational setting
Comprehension
Published July 21, 2023Comprehension – a synonym for Understanding borrowed from the Old French comprehénsion. The word is based on the core metaphor of learning in most Romance languages – namely, as catching hold or grabbing, from the PIE root *ghend– “to seize, take” – suggesting a fit with the ubiquitous Acquisition Metaphor of learning. (See also the French and Spanish entries at Metaphors of […]
Understanding
Published July 21, 2023Understanding – a diversely in term that, at minimum, is used to describe a functional ability – but that, more often, refers to abilities to manipulate, apply, and associate concepts. The latter is closer to words etymology, meaning “to stand among” (i.e., derived from PIE *nter- “between, among” + stand)
Gist Learning
Published July 21, 2023Gist Learning – developing an appreciation of “the point,” the core idea, or the essential argument of a concept. Gist Learning is often contrasted with Rote Learning (a.k.a. Verbatim Learning), and it is thus typically associated with abilities to rephrase and summarize (vs. repeat or recite).
Institutional Racism
Published July 20, 2023Institutional Racism – a discourse concerned with Systemic Racism in specific institutional systems
Structural Racism
Published July 20, 2023Structural Racism – a discourse that focuses on the structures (e.g., policies, norms, practices) that enable and perpetuate Systemic Racism
Systemic Racism
Published July 20, 2023Systemic Racism – discriminatory race-based attitudes, actions, and/or structures that are integral elements of social, political, corporate, educational, criminal and/or other systems.
Spaced Overlearning
Published July 20, 2023Spaced Overlearning – a mashup of Overlearning and Distributed Practice
Zombie Generation
Published July 19, 2023Zombie Generation (P. Chevyetski, 2010s) – a play on the “Z” of Generation Z, intended to characterize a large portion of this generation as technology-addicted zombies
Hostile Architecture (Unpleasant Design)
Published July 19, 2023Hostile Architecture (Unpleasant Design) (2000s, Nils Norman) – aspects of the built environment that are designed to shape behavior by, for example, guiding or restricting actions
Democratization of Knowledge
Published July 15, 2023Democratization of Knowledge (various, 1970s) – the process of making knowledge accessible to and usable by all. Prominent themes in the movement include empowerment through access (e.g., through free online digital libraries), openness (i.e., unrestricted sharing), and participation (i.e., enabling individuals to join in knowledge creation).
Data Colonialism
Published July 15, 2023Data Colonialism (Nick Couldry, 2010s) – the extraction and utilization of data to advance the interests of more powerful entities while disadvantaging the already marginalized or disempowered. Not all aspects of Data Colonialism are consciously or deliberately deployed. For example, many scholars have demonstrated how data sets on which Large Language Models are trained are riddled with deeply entrenched cultural biases – […]
Discriminatory Design (Exclusionary Design)
Published July 15, 2023Discriminatory Design (Ruha Benjamin, 2010s) – qualities engineered into spaces, systems, and artifacts that assert or maintain privilege for some and disadvantage for other. Prominently critiqued school-based examples include unrepresentative reading materials and standard-sized desks, among many, many other aspects of formal education.
Disinformation
Published July 14, 2023Disinformation – inaccurate or false Information that is spread for malicious purposes
Misinformation
Published July 14, 2023Misinformation – inaccurate or false Information
QTPOC (QPOC)
Published July 13, 2023QTPOC (QPOC) – an abbreviation of Queer and Trans People of Color (or Queer People of Color )
Data Poisoning
Published July 12, 2023Data Poisoning (various, 2020s) – the manipulation of a Large Language Model to deliver false or skewed results through the deliberate inclusion of biased or inaccurate data in its training set
Experience-Language-Pictorial-Symbolic-Application (ELPSA)
Published July 9, 2023Experience-Language-Pictorial-Symbolic-Application (ELPSA) (Tom Lowrie, Sitti Maesuri Patahuddin, 2010s) – a cyclical model of mathematics instruction that is clearly based on Bruner’s Three Modes of Representation(under Stages of Understanding Models), but that evidently ignores bruner’s cautions against making rigid distinctions among types of representation and interpreting the triad as some sort of instructional sequence
Posttraumatic Growth (Adversarial Growth)
Published July 8, 2023Posttraumatic Growth (Michael Haas, 2010s) – positive psychological shifts triggered by stressful or traumatic experiences – that is, effectively a label for Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1888) aphorism, “What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger” (i.e., the popular translation of his “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich starker”).
Indigenous Institutional Theory
Published July 8, 2023Indigenous Institutional Theory (Stacey Coates, Michelle Trudgett, Susan Page, 2020s) – a blend of Institutional Theory and Indigenous Standpoint Theory (under Positioning Theory) that is intended to enable the study of Indigenous experiences in post-secondary education
Indigenous Standpoint Theory
Published July 8, 2023Indigenous Standpoint Theory (Martin Nakata, 2000s) – a version of Standpoint Theory that is concerned with the ways that Indigenous peoples’ epistemologies might constrain and/or enable their participation in broader spheres
Feminist Standpoint Theory (Standpoint Feminism)
Published July 8, 2023Feminist Standpoint Theory (Standpoint Feminism) (various, 1980s) – a version of Standpoint Theory that highlights the possibility that social and political positions dominated by women might be leveraged to investigate issues into both the marginalization of some and the privilege of others
Antifragility
Published July 8, 2023Antifragility (Nassim Taleb, 2010s) – a property of complex systems whereby they thrive due to stresses, errors, failures, instabilities, and/or assaults. Antifragility is distinguished from Resilience (the ability to cope with and recover from crisis situations; under Grit).
Anti-Psychiatry
Published July 7, 2023Anti-Psychiatry – a movement that’s almost as old as Psychiatry, characterized by concerns about the reliability of psychiatric diagnoses, efficacy of treatments, potential harms of medications, inherent (gender, cultural, ethnic, and other) biases, and other matters
Positive Disintegration
Published July 7, 2023Positive Disintegration (Kazimierez Dabrowski, 1930s) – a developmental theory based on the conviction that stresses are necessary for personal growth. Five levels are posited. Level I, where many individuals remain, is about self-fulfillment and individuality. It is integration focused. Levels II, III, and IV involve disintegrations of existing psychological structures, affording opportunities to restructure values. Level V is associated with creativity and […]
Interbrain Synchrony (Brain Synchrony; Inter-Brain Neural Synchronization; Neural Coupling)
Published July 1, 2023Interbrain Synchrony (Brain Synchrony; Inter-Brain Neural Synchronization) (various, 2010s) – the alignment of patterns of activity in different brains – which is more pronounced among close friends and between effective teachers and their students
Collective Neuroscience
Published July 1, 2023Collective Neuroscience (various, 2010s) – the study of the synchronization of brain waves (i.e., Interbrain Synchrony; see below) that can occur among people involved in a shared experience, such as a conversation or a classroom lesson
Interpersonal Neurobiology (Relational Neurobiology)
Published June 28, 2023Interpersonal Neurobiology (Relational Neurobiology) (Daniel Siegel, 1990s) – a perspective that integratesNeurobiology with research on the social, situated, distributed, and cultural aspects of learning and identity
Integration Theory (Mindsight Approach)
Published June 28, 2023Integration Theory (Mindsight Approach) (Daniel Siegel, 2010s) – a perspective on personal well-being that draws on Complex Systems Research, Psychotherapy, and Neuroscience as it foregrounds the role of integration of neural systems for managing and minimizing psychological distress
Feature Integration Theory
Published June 28, 2023Feature Integration Theory (Anne Triesman, Garry Gelade, 1980s) – a theory of attention that describes it as a process of automatically and simultaneously registering multiple separate features of an object that are later integrated
Morphic Field (Morphic Resonance; Morphogenetic Resonance)
Published June 28, 2023Morphic Field (Morphogenetic Resonance) (Rupert Sheldrake, 1980s) – a widely criticized and as-yet unsubstantiated proposal that agents can tap into the accumulated memories of many agents. The perspectives is used to account for collective memory, the movement of information between agents, and the transfer of learnings for an agent to its descendants.
Teacher Talks
Published June 26, 2023Teacher Talks – when used in reference to teacher Professional Development, a structured, collaboration-focused program designed to address and advance matters of local interest
Great Teaching Toolkit™
Published June 26, 2023Great Teaching Toolkit – a marketed suite of brief courses designed to support teacher Professional Development
Professional Development (Continuing Professional Development; Continuous Professional Development; CPD; PD)
Published June 26, 2023Professional Development (Continuing Professional Development; Continuous Professional Development; CPD; PD) – learning activities that are undertaken to improve one’s practice and/or sophisticate one’s understandings of that practice
Professional Learning (PL)
Published June 26, 2023Professional Learning (2000s) – a model of Professional Development that is undertaken in collaboration with other professionals
Intuition Metaphor
Published June 16, 2023Intuition Metaphor – derived from the Latin in- “at, on” + tueri “to look at, watch over”
Data (Raw Data)
Published June 15, 2023Data – symbols, signals, unprocessed facts (counts, measurements), unexamined images, etc.
Knowledge
Published June 15, 2023Knowledge – know-how, based on information synthesized over time and across contexts
Information
Published June 15, 2023Information – data rendered useful through being organized, categorized, summarized, or otherwise structured
Generativity (Technological Generativity; Theory of Generativity; Theory of Technological Generativity)
Published June 14, 2023Generativity (Technological Generativity; Theory of Generativity; Theory of Technological Generativity) (Jonathan Zittrain, 2000s) – extending the notion of “generativity” from Psychosocial Developmental Theory, a perspective on how technology systems create (or might be enabled to create) behaviors, outputs, or structures that were not anticipated or intended by the system’s designers
Academic Journaling
Published June 14, 2023Academic Journaling – the widespread practice of recording impressions, reflections, insights, and other thoughts at the end of a class session. Proponents tend to confidently assert the activity supports learning, but the evidence falls far short of the claims. (Journaling activities that are specifically addressed to and routinely reviewed by the teacher seem to be somewhat effective – but such activity is […]
Productive Disposition
Published June 10, 2023Productive Disposition – the tendency to see value in topics and tasks
Disposition
Published June 10, 2023Disposition – one’s general attitude toward learning
Situational Interest
Published June 10, 2023Situational Interest – a temporary Interest triggered by a something in the environment
Personal Interests
Published June 10, 2023Personal Interests – relatively stable preferences that are specific to the individual
Interest
Published June 10, 2023Interest – the extent to which a topic or task is perceived as intriguing or enticing
Challenge
Published June 10, 2023Challenge – a situation with a reasonable Expectancy, if appropriate effort is put forward
Threat
Published June 10, 2023Threat – a situation with a low Expectancy, not matter the effort expended
Expectancy
Published June 10, 2023Expectancy – one’s expectations for the outcome of a situation
Debilitating Anxiety
Published June 10, 2023Debilitating Anxiety – situations and conditions in which elevated Anxiety interferes with performance, such as multi-step and unfamiliar tasks
Facilitating Anxiety
Published June 10, 2023Facilitating Anxiety – situations and conditions in which elevated Anxiety enhances performance, such as with easy and automatic tasks
Emotionality (Mood)
Published June 10, 2023Emotionality – the affective and physiological aspect of anxiety (manifesting, e.g., as tense muscles, raised heartrate, pacing, etc.)
Worry
Published June 10, 2023Worry – the conscious and cognitive aspect of Anxiety (manifesting as, e.g., self-questioning, pessimism, escape behavior, etc.)
Mood-Dependent Memory
Published June 10, 2023Mood-Dependent Memory (Gordon Bower, 1980s) – the observation that long-term memories are more successfully summoned when one is in the same mood as when those memories were formed
Situated Motivation
Published June 10, 2023Situated Motivation (Scott Paris, 1990s) – the suggestion that one’s motivation is largely a function of one’s context
Need for Competence
Published June 10, 2023Need for Competence (Robert White, 1950s) – one’s self-assurance of being able to deal effectively with one’s situation
Need for Approval
Published June 10, 2023Need for Approval (David Marlowe, 1960s) – an impulse to be noticed/recognized by and to “look good” to others
Cognitive Engagement
Published June 10, 2023Cognitive Engagement (Paul Pintrich, 1990s) – paying attention to, monitoring understanding of, questioning, and otherwise thinking about the task and/or topics at hand
Time on Task
Published June 10, 2023Time on Task (Jere Brophy 1980s) – as the phrase suggests, the spent engaging in an assigned learning activity. Time on Task tends to be strongly correlated with academic success.
Guided Peer Questioning (Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning)
Published June 10, 2023Guided Peer Questioning (Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning) (Alison King, 1990s) – a structure designing to encourage pairs of students to engage with higher-level questions on the topics under study
Base Group
Published June 10, 2023Base Group (David Johnson, Roger Johnson, 1990s) – a cooperative group that remains together for an extended sequence of study (e.g., unit, semester, or school year)
Authentic Activities
Published June 10, 2023Authentic Activities (Elfrieda Hiebert, 1990s) – tasks that are reflective of or identical to those that learners can expect to encounter outside of school
Drawing Analogies
Published June 10, 2023Drawing Analogies – seeking clues by extending knowledge and understandings of other, possibly similar or related, situations
Combining Algorithms
Published June 10, 2023Combining Algorithms (Robert Gagné, 1980s) – as the name suggests, using multiple algorithms in combination to generate an appropriate solution
Habit-Family Hierarchy (Response Hierarchy)
Published June 9, 2023Habit-Family Hierarchy (Response Hierarchy) (Clark Hull, 1950s) – different degrees of Habit strength, in reference to situations in which an organism has learned multiple distinct responses to the same stimulus
Ill-Defined Problem (Ill-Structured Problem)
Published June 9, 2023Ill-Defined Problem – a problem for that is lacking one or more of the elements of a Well-Defined Problem, meaning that its goal is not clear, it lacks critical information to solve it, and/or it is not associated with an established algorithm
Well-Defined Problem (Well-Structured Problem)
Published June 9, 2023Well-Defined Problem – a problem statement that explicitly includes all the information that is necessary to arrive at a solution. Some definitions of a Well-Defined Problem also include the requirement of an established Algorithm (see below).
Vertical Transfer
Published June 9, 2023Vertical Transfer – the development of new knowledge by extending or elaborating of already learned information or skills
Horizontal Transfer
Published June 9, 2023Horizontal Transfer – occurs when previously learned knowledge that is not essential to new learnings is nonetheless helpful in that learning
Illusion of Knowing
Published June 9, 2023Illusion of Knowing (Ann Brown, 1970s) – when one is convinced one understands when one does not, owing to a lack of awareness of (or ignorance about) what one does not know
Comprehension Monitoring
Published June 9, 2023Comprehension Monitoring (1980s) – periodic self-checks to ensure one is keeping pace with (i.e., understanding and remembering) lesson topics
Co-Regulated Learning (CoRL)
Published June 9, 2023Co-Regulated Learning (Mary McCaslin, 1990s) – the sharing of responsibility (for directing the learning process) between an adult and one or more children – typically understood as scaffolding toward Self-Regulated Learning
Wait Time
Published June 9, 2023Wait Time – the span of time between posing a question and providing an answer. Considerable research has been conducted on the phenomenon. Results and recommendations tend to be fairly consistent, indicating that Wait Times of 5–10 seconds contribute to greater attention, broader participation, and more thoughtful responses.
Fan Effect
Published June 9, 2023Fan Effect (John Anderson, 1970s) – an increase in the time needed to recall relevant details of a concept, owing to an increase in the number of associations has for that concept
Response Competition
Published June 9, 2023Response Competition – the Behaviorisms version of Interference Theory, expressed in terms of the number of “conditioned responses”
Flashbulb Memory
Published June 9, 2023Flashbulb Memory (Roger Brown, James Kulik, 1970s) – a memory with extreme clarity, owing to the consequential or arousing nature of the event remembered
Source-Monitoring Error (Source Confusion; Source Misattribution)
Published June 9, 2023Source-Monitoring Error (Source Confusion; Source Misattribution) – the misidentification of the source of a memory (e.g., believing it was personally witnessed when it was really seen on the news)
False Memory
Published June 9, 2023False Memory – a memory of something that didn’t actually happen or that happened significantly differently to the recollection
Misattribution of Memory
Published June 9, 2023Misattribution of Memory – the misidentification or invention some facet of a memory. Types include:
Contextual Cue (Contextual Association)
Published June 9, 2023Contextual Cue (Contextual Association) – any situated aspect of a memory (e.g., location, season, companions) that both bolsters that memory and enables retrieval
Associate Cue
Published June 9, 2023Associate Cue – a Retrieval Cue that aids recall by providing a relevant category or feature of the desire long-term memories
Identity Cue
Published June 9, 2023Identity Cue – a Retrieval Cue that is identical to the long-term memory that is hoped to be activated – as encountered, for example, on a multiple-choice exam
Retrieval Cue (Cued Recall)
Published June 9, 2023Retrieval Cue – a hint intended to activate relevant long-terms memories. Types include:
Cultural Literacy
Published June 9, 2023Cultural Literacy – those facts that are deemed necessary for the “educated” person to know. This construct is, of course, highly contested and often serves at the target of Activist Discourses.
Personal Theories
Published June 9, 2023Personal Theories (1980s) – personally coherent interpretations of concepts, physical happenings, and other phenomena. Within some educational philosophies, Personal Theories are encouraged, with the intention to prompt learner interpretations toward more broadly accepted perspectives.
Sponge Activity
Published June 8, 2023Sponge Activity – a busywork activity assigned to students to keep them occupied while the teacher attends to other pressing matters
Expertise (Classic Expertise; Routine Expertise; Technical Expertise)
Published June 8, 2023Expertise (Classic Expertise; Routine Expertise; Technical Expertise) (Michelene Chi, 1970s) – the learned knowledge and honed understandings associated with skillful action in a specific domain
Adaptive Expertise (Flexible Expertise)
Published June 8, 2023Adaptive Expertise (Flexible Expertise) (Giyoo Hatano, Kayoko Inagaki, 1980s) – the cognitive and affective qualities associated with capacities to deal efficiently and effectively with novel demands (e.g., problem solving, generating new procedures, etc.)
Simultaneous Presentation
Published June 8, 2023Simultaneous Presentation – experiences are structured so that learners encounter more or all Features at the same time
Sequential Presentation
Published June 8, 2023Sequential Presentation – experiences are structured so that learners encounter a series of Features, with the intent to render a concept more and more sophisticated over time
Necessary
Published June 8, 2023Necessary (Dave Hewitt, 1990s) – those Features of a Concept that can be derived because they are logically obligatory (e.g., once “1”, “2”, and “+” are defined, it is Necessary that 1 + 1 = 2)
Arbitrary
Published June 8, 2023Arbitrary (Dave Hewitt, 1990s) – those Features of a Concept that are not assigned by choice, habit, or history, but that do not alter the Concept if changed (e.g., the words “one” and “plus” and the symbols “1” and “+” are Arbitrary – as evidenced by the fact that they’re named differently in French and Swahili, but the underlying Concepts are stable)
Irrelevant Features
Published June 8, 2023Irrelevant Features – those Features that might be present in in cases of a Concept but that don’t matter to the concept (e.g., all the poodles living with Brent are black)
Correlational Features
Published June 8, 2023Correlational Features – those Features that might be present in most or all cases of a given Concept but that aren’t necessary (e.g., almost all poodles can bark, but those that can’t are still poodles)
Defining Features
Published June 8, 2023Defining Features – those Features that must be present in all cases of a given Concept (e.g., a curly hair is a Defining Feature of a poodle, but being able to bark is not)
Features (Attributes)
Published June 8, 2023Features (Attributes) – characteristics of a Concept (e.g., a poodle has curly hair and can typically bark). Categories of Features include:
Aphantasia
Published June 8, 2023Aphantasia (Adam Zeman, 2010s) – derived from a Greek word meaning, roughly, “not made visible” or “not imagined,” the inability to visualize or the lack of mental images. These capacities occur along a continuum, and an estimated 3–5% of people are aphantasic.
Physiognomy
Published June 8, 2023Physiognomy (discussed by Aristotle, 300s BCE) – a pseudoscience founded on the conviction that the one’s character can be assessed from one’s physical body
Future-Authentic Assessment
Published June 8, 2023Future-Authentic Assessment (Phillip Dawson, 2020s) – an attitude toward assessment that is attentive to the accelerating paces of knowledge evolution, and consequently considers current realities of/in a discipline alongside “likely future realities”
Shared Abstraction
Published June 8, 2023Shared Abstraction (Celia Hoyles, Richard Noss, 1990s) – a phrase coined to highlight the manner in which one’s formal understanding of a concept can be simultaneously abstract and situated – that is, available to be applied across contexts, yet anchored to specific experiences. The notion was first developed within mathematics education.
Hyperphantasia
Published June 8, 2023Hyperphantasia (David Marks, 1970s) – derived from a Greek word meaning, roughly, “highly visible” or “vividly imagined,” a condition where one’s imaginings are experienced as very realistic, sometimes to the point of being confused with actual vision. It is estimated to affect about 3% of the population.
Object Memory
Published June 8, 2023Object Memory – the ability to remember objects and their features (e.g., color, size, texture, positioning). Most tests of Object Memory involve quick exposures to many items, and subjects call typically recall about four items and about four qualities of each.
Spatial Memory
Published June 8, 2023Spatial Memory – the form of memory associated with remembering locations – including orientations in space, the locations of objects, and navigating to preselected locations (Note: Spatial Memory should not be confused with Visual Memory, under Representationalism.)
Cognitive Load Optimization
Published June 8, 2023Cognitive Load Optimization (Stanislaw Paul Maj, 2020s) – a Learning Design model informed by Cognitive Load Theory involving carefully engineered, incremental learning sequences that, ideally, never overtax the learner’s capacities to perceive critical details (or associations among those details)
Dataism
Published June 8, 2023Dataism (David Brooks, 2010s) – a mindset associated with and enabled by Big Data. Optimists suggest Dataism might lead to deeper insight and greater justice. Pessimists argue Dataism will render human knowledge and wisdom traditions obsolete.
Experience-Expectant Plasticity
Published June 8, 2023Experience-Expectant Plasticity – evolution-based (i.e., species-wide) changes to the brain that enable common proficiencies (e.g., visual perception, language)
Experience-Dependent Plasticity
Published June 8, 2023Experience-Dependent Plasticity – those changes to the brain that are due to environmental conditions – typically associated with specific cultures, social groups, skill clusters, and knowledge domains
Critical Periods (of Brain Development)
Published June 8, 2023Critical Periods (of Brain Development) – specific periods during which Neuroplasticity is greatest. While they vary across individuals, competencies, and contexts, the two most commonly noted Critical Periods happen during infancy and adolescence. With the former, synaptic density peaks between ages 1 and 2 years, and this critical time is associated with development of the visual system, auditory system, and motor skills. […]
Neutral Stimulus
Published June 7, 2023Neutral Stimulus – a stimulus that does not trigger a response
Future Shock
Published June 7, 2023Future Shock (Alvin Toffler, 1970s) – a psychological shock upon recognizing that one’s conception of reality is no longer useful, owing to rapid social, cultural, technological, and ecology changes
Sensory Preconditioning
Published June 7, 2023Sensory Preconditioning – the associating of two Neutral Stimuli prior to a conditioning process. When a response has been conditioned to one of those stimuli, the other stimuli may also trigger it.
Associative Bias
Published June 7, 2023Associative Bias – variations in the likelihood and/or ease of conditioning a response due to inherent relationships between certain stimuli and certain responses
Intervening Variables
Published June 7, 2023Intervening Variables (Clark Hull, 1950s) – factors that are specific to a learner/organism that must be taken into account for accurate predictions of how effective a conditioning process will be
Habit (S–R Habit)
Published June 7, 2023Habit (S–R Habit) – in the context of Classical Conditioning, a conditioned association. That is, in this context, a Habitis the basic unit of learning.
Hauntological Pedagogy
Published June 7, 2023Hauntological Pedagogy (Michalinos Zembylas, 2010s) – invoking Derrida’s notion of “hauntology,” which he coined to refer to the ways that pasts linger in the present, a mode of teaching intended to prepare learners for an uncertain future by interrogating power structures and dominant narratives across past, present, and possible futures
Contingency Contract
Published June 7, 2023Contingency Contract – an agreement (usually between a teacher and a student or a group of students) that specifies desired/target/terminal behaviors and the consequences/reinforcers of meeting those behaviors
Group Contingency
Published June 7, 2023Group Contingency – the requirement that everyone in a group by perform a desired/target/terminal behavior in order for the specified consequences/reinforcers to occur
Cognitive Modeling
Published June 7, 2023Cognitive Modeling (Dale Schunk, 1980s) – a deliberate demonstration of how to think about something (Note: should not be confused with the theory of Cognitive Modeling.)
Retroactive Facilitation
Published June 7, 2023Retroactive Facilitation – when new learning renders previous learning more robust or profound
Proactive Facilitation
Published June 7, 2023Proactive Facilitation – when old learning enables new learning
Sensation
Published June 7, 2023Sensation – any activation of a sensory system (i.e., touch, hearing, etc.), regardless of its effect on the agent. A Sensationis necessary for Perception (see above), but not the same phenomenon.
Ambiguous Stimulus
Published June 7, 2023Ambiguous Stimulus – an object of perception that can be easily interpreted in multiple ways
Self-Reinforcement (Self-Reaction)
Published June 7, 2023Self-Reinforcement (Self-Reaction) – a Self-Regulation strategy focused on changing one’s own behaviors through self-managed Operant Conditioning – that is, by reinforcing oneself for desired behaviors and otherwise withholding reinforcement
Propositional Network
Published June 7, 2023Propositional Network – a model of Long-Term Memory based on the metaphor of a network, in which memories are seen to be organized as interconnected propositions
Extrinsic Motivation
Published June 7, 2023Extrinsic Motivation – motivating influences that come from outside the learner. Self-Determination Theoryidentifies three types, according to their degree of internalization:
External Motivation
Published June 7, 2023External Motivation – expected Rewards and avoided Punishments (see Operant Conditioning). Externally motivated behaviors are not regarded as internalized.
Introjected Motivation
Published June 7, 2023Introjected Motivation – when an aspect of oneself motivates another aspect to act (e.g., to avoid a negative self-image). Behaviors motivated this way are regarded as partially internalized.
Identified Motivation
Published June 7, 2023Identified Motivation – when an extrinsically motivated behavior is fully internalized
Intrinsic Motivation
Published June 7, 2023Intrinsic Motivation – motivations rooted in interest or pleasure of engaging
Amotivation
Published June 7, 2023Amotivation – a mode of acting that lacks a clear intention or purpose, often accompanied by a feeling of helplessness
Evolutionary Humanism
Published June 7, 2023Evolutionary Humanism (Julian Huxley, 1950s) – a version of Humanism that incorporates principles of Universal Darwinism, thus concerned with shaping the species’ future by bringing the conclusions of evolutionary science (e.g., on matters of human cognition, sociality, and diversity) to bear on such matters of ethics, well-being
Skills Gap (AI Skills Gap)
Published June 7, 2023Skills Gap (AI Skills Gap) (Bernard Marr, 2020s) – a lack of skilled AI talent, most apparent across business and government. This Skills Gap was first noted as AI systems (in particular, Large Language Models) moved toward ubiquity in the early-2020s – and, of course, education was identified as both the problem and solution.
Inventionism
Published June 7, 2023Inventionism – the conviction that the practices and beliefs of a culture were entirely developed by/within that culture (vs. imported from, based on, or otherwise influenced by other cultures)
Innovative Learning Environments
Published June 7, 2023Innovative Learning Environments – a mashup of Learning Environments, Technology-Mediated Individual Learning, and Activity- and Experience-Focused Discourses, usually articulated in related to “21st-century skills” (see Deeper Learning).
Transcendental Learning
Published June 7, 2023Transcendental Learning (Mihnea Moldoveanu, 2020s) – a type of Dialogic Learning that foregrounds collaboration, Interdisciplinarity (see Epistemology), and Multimodality (see Unaffiliated Discourses)
Enclothed Cognition
Published June 7, 2023Enclothed Cognition (Hajo Adam, Adam Gakinsky, 2010s) – the hypothesis that what one is wearing is laden with consequential symbolic meaning, based on empirical evidence that one’s clothing affects one’s self-perception
Parentalism
Published June 7, 2023Parentalism – a near-synonym of Paternalism (see below), although more often used in reference to matters of family, formal education, and health care
Paternalism
Published June 7, 2023Paternalism (1850s) – based on the Latin pater “father,” an attitude, assumption, and/or self-positioning of authority. Paternalism can be manifested on many levels, including the personal, social, societal, and political.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Indigenization (EDII)
Published June 7, 2023Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Indigenization (EDII) (2020s) – a mash-up of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (see above) and Indigenization (under Decolonizing Education)
Setting Events
Published June 7, 2023Setting Events – in the context of Operant Conditioning, ensuring the presence of an array of environmental conditions, any/all of which might serve as a Discriminative Stimulus for a desired behavior
Terminal Behavior
Published June 7, 2023Terminal Behavior – the target of a planned conditioning program – that is, the intended nature and frequency of a target behavior after conditioning
Operant Level
Published June 7, 2023Operant Level – the baseline (i.e., frequency) of an Operant Behavior when it is not being reinforced
Operant Behavior
Published June 7, 2023Operant Behavior – in Operant Conditioning, the voluntary behavior that is intended to be influenced by conditioning.
Superstitious Behavior
Published June 7, 2023Superstitious Behavior – a behavior that comes to be associated with a desired set of circumstances (and so is manifest more frequently) because it was random reinforced under those circumstances
Cueing (Prompting)
Published June 7, 2023Cueing (Prompting) – in the context of Operant Conditioning, a Discriminative Stimulus offered by the teacher or trainer intended to signal the need for a desired behavior
Delayed Imitation
Published June 7, 2023Delayed Imitation (Albert Bandura, 1970s) – the manifestation of a behavior learned through Imitation at a later time – sometimes days and even weeks later
Law of Triviality
Published June 7, 2023Law of Triviality (C. Northcote Parkinson, 1950s) – the assertion that people tend to pay disproportionate amounts of attention to inconsequential matters. Stated in terms of formal education, enthusiasm for an innovation tends to be inversely proportional to the proven significance of that innovation for learning.
Pegword Method
Published June 7, 2023Pegword Method – a technique for remembering a list of items by “pegging” each item to a word on an already-memorized list
(Theory of) Misplaced Constancy (Inappropriate Constancy Scaling Theory; Inappropriate Size-Constancy Scaling Theory)
Published June 7, 2023Theory of Misplaced Constancy (Inappropriate Constancy Scaling Theory; Inappropriate Size-Constancy Scaling Theory) (Richard L. Gregory, 1960s) – the suggestion that most Optical Illusions are due to a misapplication of perceptual rules learned in three dimensions onto images presented in two
Panentheism
Published June 7, 2023Panentheism – from a Greek word meaning “all in god,” the perspective that the world is “in god” – and, conversely, that the divine is in all things
Paperclip Problem (Paperclip Maximizer)
Published June 7, 2023Paperclip Problem (Paperclip Maximizer) (Nick Bostrom, 2010s) – a thought experiment focused on calamitous ethical and ecological consequences of a worldwide AI system that somehow comes to construe paperclip-manufacturing as its highest priority
Foom
Published June 7, 2023Foom (Eliezer Yudkowsky, 2000s) – a term proposed to refer to the possibility of a sudden and potentially catastrophic explosion of AI capabilities that might be unleased when AI achieves the capacity to improve itself
Algerism
Published June 7, 2023Algerism (unknown, 2020s) – plagiarism that is conducted through, enabled by, or assisted by Artificial Intelligence
Visual Memory
Published June 7, 2023Visual Memory – a popular version of Representationalism, whereby memories are described as retention, recording, encoding, or other storage of visual information as images that are “seen” from within … presumably by a Homunculus
Mind’s Eye (Mentis Oculi)
Published June 7, 2023Mind’s Eye (Mentis Oculi) (Cicero, c. 50 BCE) – the imagined ability to “see” a world (or a model of the world) inside one’s head.
Reflection Metaphor
Published June 7, 2023Reflection Metaphor (various, 1600s) – a thought about a thought – that is, metaphorically, observing an observation
Profoundness Metaphor
Published June 7, 2023Profoundness Metaphor – from Latin profundus “deep, obscure, extensive,” a metaphor linking complexity of a learning to the physical quality of vertical depth, and so a notion tethered to a Discovery Metaphor (i.e., the “deeper” one goes, the more one discovers). In popular usage, “profundity” are “depth roughly synonymous “sophistication” when used in reference to ideas or understandings.
Dialectic (Dialectical Learning; Dialectical Method; Minor Logic)
Published June 7, 2023Dialectic (Dialectical Learning; Dialectical Method; Minor Logic) – most often, a discussion involving people who hold different perspectives and who are committed to using agreed strategies of reasoned argumentation to come to the truth. In some usages, Dialectic (and especially Dialectical Learning) refers to the critical analysis of new concepts through explicit associations to previously established concepts).
Dialectical Reasoning (Dialectical Logic; Dialectics)
Published June 7, 2023Dialectical Reasoning (Dialectics) (Johann Fichte, 1790s) – a Mode of Reasoning that starts with a formal statement of the point (thesis), followed by a contradiction of negation of that point (antithesis), and ends in a coherent resolution (synthesis)
Noesis
Published June 7, 2023Noesis (Plato, 300s BCE) – reasoning rooted in a wealth of experience, including Inductive Reasoning, Analogical Reasoning, and most other non-logico-deductive Modes of Reasoning listed below.
Physiognomy
Published June 7, 2023Physiognomy (discussed by Aristotle, 300s BCE) – a pseudoscience founded on the conviction that the one’s character can be assessed from one’s physical body
Dianoia
Published June 7, 2023Dianoia (Plato, 300s BCE) – modes of reasoning associated with mathematical and technical processes, especially Logicand Deductive Reasoning (see below)
Truth Metaphor
Published June 7, 2023Truth Metaphor – from the PIE root *deru– “be firm, solid”
Theory Metaphor
Published June 7, 2023Theory Metaphor – derived from the ancient Greek from theōrein “to look at”
Fact Metaphor
Published June 7, 2023Fact Metaphor – from the Italian facere “to do,” something done, made, accomplished, or achieved
BOPPPS
Published June 7, 2023BOPPPS (Instructional Skill Workshop Network, 2000s) – a six-component lesson structure: Bridge in (orienting attentions); Outcomes (making aims explicit); Pre-assessment (gauging current knowledge); Participatory learning (offering active engagements); Post-assessment (evaluating new learning); Summary (recapping main details)
Translanguaging
Published June 7, 2023Translanguaging (Cen Williams, 1980s) – a variously interpreted notion applied to practices of using more than one language in a lesson. In education, Translanguaging most often refers to the fluid alternation between two languages, in contrast to sharp separations of uses and contexts of use. In another usage, Translanguaging refers to the tendency of multilingual speakers to anchor their meanings and interpretations […]
Organic Romanticism
Published June 7, 2023Organic Romanticism (usually attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, late-1700s) – a diversely defined element of Rousseau’s Romanticism, associated with one or all of the following principles: (1) a rapport with nature that defies and surpasses modern and wester rationalist and objectivist impulses; (2) the assumption of innate goodness and purity of the child; (3) the conviction that the “Natural” is inherently better than […]
Cerebrum
Published June 7, 2023Cerebrum – the largest part of the brain, regarded as the controller and/or locus of thought, speech (and other language capacities), and learning
Thalamus
Published June 7, 2023Thalamus – the brain’s information relay center, through which all bodily sensations (expect smell) pass. The Thalamus also participates in sleep, awareness, learning, and memory.
Hypothalamus
Published June 7, 2023Hypothalamus – a small region that plays a key role in regulating and balancing multiple body functions (e.g., temperature, emotional responses, appetite, sexual behavior)
Corpus Callosum (Callosal Commissure)
Published June 7, 2023Corpus Callosum (Callosal Commissure) – a thick bundle of nerve cells located between the two Hemispheres that both mediates communication between them and enforces hemispheric independence
Temporal Lobes
Published June 7, 2023Temporal Lobes – located behind the ears, associated with interpreting and remembering auditory information, producing speech, and making sense of visual stimuli
Parietal Lobes
Published June 7, 2023Parietal Lobes – located in the upper back of the brain, associated with interpretation so f sensory information and focusing attention
Occipital Lobes
Published June 7, 2023Occipital Lobes – located at the back of the brain, associated with spatial and visual competencies, including identifying color, discerning shapes, tracking movement, and locating objects
Frontal Lobes
Published June 7, 2023Frontal Lobes – the largest lobes, associated with executive control, including managing thought, judgment, emotions, personality, muscle control, and memory
Left Hemisphere
Published June 7, 2023Left Hemisphere – a region that tends to parse elements of perception and to interpret them in terms of mechanical interactions
Right Hemisphere
Published June 7, 2023Right Hemisphere – a region attentive to relationships and holistic understandings, tending to interpret all forms as alive and co-entangled
Cerebral Cortex (Cortex)
Published June 7, 2023Cerebral Cortex (Cortex) – a thin outer layer covering the Cerebrum, associated with a range of higher-level capacities, including language, reasoning, decision-making, creativity, intelligence, and personality
Forebrain (Prosencephalon)
Published June 7, 2023Forebrain (Prosencephalon) – the major part of the human brain, playing the principal role in perception, thinking, languaging, and motor function. The Forebrain was the last part of the brain to evolve and is the last to develop in a fetus. Major components include:
Reticular Formation (Reticular Activating System)
Published June 7, 2023Reticular Formation (Reticular Activating System) – a key system in enabling attention and supporting consciousness, among other functions
Midbrain (Mesencephalon)
Published June 7, 2023Midbrain (Mesencephalon) – a relatively small part of the brain that is associated with perception (especially hearing and vision), arousal (alertness and wakefulness), motor control, and other functions associated with coupling with the world. The Midbrain was the second part of the brain to evolve and is the second to develop in a fetus. Major components include:
Pons
Published June 7, 2023Pons – the part of the brain that manages several unconscious processes, including the sleep–wake cycle and many facial movements
Medulla (Medulla Oblongata)
Published June 7, 2023Medulla (Medulla Oblongata) – the part of the brain that regulates heart function, respiration, blood pressure, and several reflexes (such as swallowing and coughing)
Cerebellum
Published June 7, 2023Cerebellum – the part of the brain that detects movement and shifts in balance, and so plays important roles in coordination of muscles and learning of motor actions
Hindbrain (Lower Brain; Rhombencephalon)
Published June 7, 2023Hindbrain (Lower Brain; Rhombencephalon) – the parts of the brain located where the spinal cord enters. The Hindbrain was the first part of the brain to evolve and is the first to develop in a fetus. Major components include:
Glial Cells (Neuroglia)
Published June 7, 2023Glial Cells (Neuroglia) – comprising about 90% of the Nervous System, specialized cells that, among other functions, afford structure to hold Neurons in place and to supply them with Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters
Published June 7, 2023Neurotransmitters – a variety of chemicals that enable communication among neurons by traveling between Synapses
Synapses
Published June 7, 2023Synapses – tiny gaps between the branches of Neurons, across which information passes via Neurotransmitters
Motor Neurons
Published June 7, 2023Motor Neurons – neurons that distribute information across the body about responses and behaviors
Interneurons (Relay Neurons)
Published June 7, 2023Interneurons (Relay Neurons) – neurons that integrate and interpret information from Sensory Neurons
Sensory Neurons
Published June 7, 2023Sensory Neurons – neurons associated with sensory systems that are activated by (i.e., detect) and transmit information
Neurons (Nerve Cells)
Published June 7, 2023Neurons (Nerve Cells) – comprising about 10% of the Nervous System, specialized cells that transmit information through electrical and chemical signals. Types include:
Peripheral Nervous System
Published June 7, 2023Peripheral Nervous System – a messenger system comprising a web of cells that carry information to and from the Central Nervous System to other parts of the body
Central Nervous System
Published June 7, 2023Central Nervous System – the brain and spinal cord, responsible for connecting sensations and perceptions with actions
Nervous System
Published June 7, 2023Nervous System – the network of cells, tissues, and organs that sense and interpret information, coordinate the body’s voluntary and involuntary movements, and regulate the body’s functions (e.g., digestion, respiration, blood circulation).
Spectator Theory of Knowledge
Published April 30, 2023Spectator Theory of Knowledge (John Dewey, 1890s) – a phrase offered as a critique of the Illumination Metaphor and its associated assumptions of knower-independent, object-like truths
Neurophilosophy
Published April 30, 2023Neurophilosophy (Patricia Smith Churchland, 1980s) – the study of the philosophical and epistemological commitments within Neuroscience research – both explicit and (most often) implicit
Discovery Metaphor
Published April 30, 2023Discovery Metaphor (ancient) – originally meaning “unconcealing,” from the Latin dis- + cooperire “opposite of cover up,” a notion associated with assumptions that knowledge has a pre-existent, object-like form and that it has been hidden from immediate perception
Grasping Metaphor
Published April 30, 2023Grasping Metaphor (ancient) – a metaphor for learning, understanding, and knowing that is common across most European languages – especially the Romance languages (e.g., French, Italian, Spanish), among which it serves as principal metaphor for learning (see Metaphors of Learning in Different Languages). In English, the Grasping Metaphor is perhaps most noticeable among such familiar expressions as “getting it,” “holding onto an […]
Material Intelligence
Published April 28, 2023Material Intelligence (various, 2010s) – a term with multiple, context-specific meanings. Those that appear most relevant to discourses on learning in education are rooted in psychology (in reference to abilities to understand, manipulate, and otherwise exploit physical materials) and robotics (in reference to investing materials with information and processing power, a.k.a. “intelligent materials”).
Computational Literacy
Published April 27, 2023Computational Literacy (various, 2010s) – the competencies and dispositions associated with effective and critical usage of computational technologies
New Vocationalism
Published April 26, 2023New Vocationalism (various, 1970s) – a Vocationalist perspective that layers in the suggestion that the development of vocation-specific skills are best learned on the job
Vocationalism
Published April 26, 2023Vocationalism (various, c. 1700s, in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution) – the perspective that the focus of formal education should be determined by the needs of the economy – that is, according to marketability of skills, available job openings, requirements of industry, etc.
Mental Discipline Theories (Mental Discipline Theories of Teaching)
Published April 26, 2023Mental Discipline Theories (Mental Discipline Theories of Teaching) – those perspectives on teaching that embrace the principle that the main purpose of education a specific content area is not to enable the mastery of that subject, but to train general intelligence, instill cultural values, and support productive attitudes – that is, to discipline one’s mind
Mathetics
Published April 26, 2023Mathetics (John Amos Comenius, 1680s) – the science of learning
AAME PREview (Professional Readiness Examination)
Published April 25, 2023AAME PREview (Professional Readiness Examination) (Association of American Medical Colleges) – a Situational Judgment Test focused on a suite of competencies associated with medical schools
CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics; CMSENS)
Published April 25, 2023CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics; CMSENS) (Harold Reiter, Kelly Dore, 2000s) – an online Situational Judgment Test intended to assess professionalism, personal values, and interpersonal skills.
Situational Judgment Test (SJT)
Published April 25, 2023Situational Judgment Test (SJT) – an assessment of qualities and skills deemed necessary for specific professional roles (e.g., teacher, physician), typically structured around a sequence of fictional situations that might be expected in those roles. Candidates must choose courses of action and justify their choices.
Remote Associates Test
Published April 21, 2023Remote Associates Test (Sarnoff Mednick, Martha Mednick, 1950s) – a 30-item, 40-minute test in which subjects are provided with three words and asked to identify a fourth that is somehow related (e.g., Weed, Shake, Goat ® Milk).
Scientific Materialism
Published April 21, 2023Scientific Materialism (George Santayana, 1930s) – a phrase used to characterize the worldview of research scientists whose research is rooted in or aligned with Materialisms
Mechanism (Mechanical Materialism; Universal Mechanism)
Published April 19, 2023Mechanism (Mechanical Materialism; Universal Mechanism) – the perspective that all natural forms, including living entities, are machine-like – that is, wholes that can be reduced to the sums of their parts (Contrasts: Gestalism; Complex Systems Research.)
Naïve Idealism
Published April 19, 2023Naïve Idealism – the perspective that “reality” is one’s own mental creation (Contrast: Naïve Realism, under Realism.) (Note: The phrase Naïve Idealism is also used to describe over-optimistic, but unrealistic and/or under-considered, modes of thinking, often associated with adolescents and religious fanatics.)
Divided Brain Theory (Master–Emissary Model of Hemispheric Functioning)
Published April 19, 2023Divided Brain Theory (Master–Emissary Model of Hemispheric Functioning) (Iain McGilchrist, 2000s) – the empirically grounded perspective that each hemisphere of the brain has a radically distinct worldview – that each, each perceived reality in its own way. It’s difficult to summarize the Divided Brain Theory without sounding like it aligns with pop-psychology beliefs about the two hemispheres (e.g., Modularity of Mind, or […]
Emotional Design Theory of Learning with Digital Media
Published April 16, 2023Emotional Design Theory of Learning with Digital Media (Jan Plass, Ulas Kaplan, 2010s) – a proposal to include considerations of affective/emotional image when designing multimedia learning experiences
Multimedia Principle
Published April 16, 2023Multimedia Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better from the combination of text and images than from text alone
Voice Principle
Published April 16, 2023Voice Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when narrations are presented in a human (vs. machine) voice
Temporal Contiguity Principle
Published April 16, 2023Temporal Contiguity Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when text and associated images are presented at the same time (vs. in sequence)
Spatial Contiguity Principle
Published April 16, 2023Spatial Contiguity Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when text and associated images are close to one another on a page or slide
Signaling Principle
Published April 16, 2023Signaling Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when provided with cues signaling organization of essential information
Segmenting Principle
Published April 16, 2023Segmenting Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when a multimedia presentation is parsed in segments that the user can pace
Redundancy Principle
Published April 16, 2023Redundancy Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that the combination of graphics and narration is more effective in supporting learning that the combination of graphics, narration, and on-screen text
Pre-Training Principle
Published April 16, 2023Pre-Training Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when primed – that is, when they have been alerted to the names and some key aspects of the main concepts
Personalization Principle
Published April 16, 2023Personalization Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when multimedia presentations are in conversational style (versus academic or other formal style)
Modality Principle (Modality Effect)
Published April 16, 2023Modality Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better from the combination of graphics and narrations than from the combination of animations and on-screen text
Image Principle
Published April 16, 2023Image Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that incorporating a “talking head” (i.e., an image of the presenter) does not necessarily better support one’s learning
Coherence Principle
Published April 16, 2023Coherence Principle (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – the suggestion that one learns better when extraneous information (inc. unnecessary words, images, and sounds) is avoided
Social Agency Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning)
Published April 16, 2023Social Agency Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning) (Richard Mayer, 2010s) – a perspective that emphasizes the role of social engagement – and, specifically of social cues – in prompting and enabling cognitive processing. Twelve principles are identified:
Self-Worth Theory
Published April 16, 2023Self-Worth Theory (Martin Covington, 1970s) – a theory of motivation founded on the assumption that one’s highest priority is self-acceptance – which, because achievement and worth are often conflated, is often indexed to competitiveness
Online Collaborative Learning Theory
Published April 16, 2023Online Collaborative Learning Theory (Linda Harasim, 2010s) – a model of instructor-facilitated, online collaboration structured around three phases of knowledge construction: Idea Generating; Idea Organizing; Intellectual Convergence
Integrated Design
Published April 16, 2023Integrated Design (Marcelo Main, Brock Craft, Yishay Mor, 2010s) – positioned between Instructional Design Models and Learning Design, an attitude that seeks identify and integrate useful and defensible aspects from both approaches
Designing for Learning
Published April 16, 2023Designing for Learning (Diana Laurillard, 2010s) – a processed rephrasing of “Learning Design,” intended to shift the focus of the activity to the learner and the learning, based on the argument that learning cannot be designed
Successive Approximation Model
Published April 16, 2023Successive Approximation Model (Michael Allen) – an iterative, three-step design model influenced by Design Thinking, in which each phase involves evaluation, design &/or development, and prototyping &/or implementation (Note: should not be confused with the Successive Approximation of Operant Conditioning)
Pebble-in-the-Pond Instructional Design Model
Published April 16, 2023Pebble-in-the-Pond Instructional Design Model (David Merrill, 2000s) – an elaboration of the ADDIE Modelbased on an image of concentric circles (like the ripples formed when a pebble is dropped in a pond), by which each step of the model is characterized in terms of cyclical iterations rather than linear steps
PADDIE+M Model
Published April 16, 2023PADDIE+M Model (United States Navy, 2010s) – the PADDIE Model with “Planning” pasted onto the start and “Maintenance” added the process has been implemented
ADDIE+M
Published April 16, 2023ADDIE+M (Pavlis Korres, 2010s) – the ADDIE Model with the addition of “Maintenance of te learning community network”
Intercorporeality
Published April 15, 2023Intercorporeality (Maurice Merleau-Ponty, 1960s) – a precursor to Social Cognition, by which one’s identity and other knowings are understood to emerge in the co-specifying dynamics of one’s own body and that of another
Cynefin Framework
Published April 14, 2023Cynefin Framework (Dave Snowden, 1990s) – a decision-making framework comprising five distinct domains/categories of experience, along with the defining dynamics, rules, and activities of four of them. The model is intended to support efforts to understand and transform situations. The following diagram, a composite of several online images, sums up key aspects:
“Know Your Learner(s)”
Published April 13, 2023“Know Your Learner(s)” (various, 1980s) – an imperative for teachers that was originally aligned with the realization that the most impactful “factor” in one’s learning is what already knows – which was an insight expressed in reference to the learning of specific subject matters. It has since morphed into an insistence that good teaching is dependent on a detailed knowledge of not […]
Ecology of Human Performance
Published April 12, 2023Ecology of Human Performance (Winnie Dunn, Catana Brown, Ann McGuigan, 1990s) – Aligned with Embedded Discourses, a framework based on the principle that ecology affects human behavior, thus emphasizing considerations of one’s relationships and context when structuring therapeutic interventions
Sensory Smart Classroom
Published April 12, 2023Sensory Smart Classroom (Christina Sparker, 2010s) – building on Sensory Integration Theory, a term that encompasses all efforts to structure physical classrooms and learner experiences in ways that address each child’s sensory needs
Archetype-Based Modeling (of Persona)
Published April 10, 2023Archetype-Based Modeling (of Persona) (Ao Guo, Jianhua Ma, 2010s) – an approach to modeling individual personalities (and potentially of digitally cloning a person) that is based on Big Data (i.e., the information made available by smartphones, wearables, and other digital traces; see Technology-Mediated Individual Learning). Archetype-Based Modeling is derived in part from Jungian Archetypes (under Psychoanalytic Theories) and the Jungian Typology (under […]
Big Data
Published April 10, 2023Big Data (2000s) – vast data sets that are too large and/or too complex to be analyzed using traditional techniques. Such data sets are growing exponentially across almost all quantifiable aspects of human life – including formal education, where the focus is usually on identifying patterns, trends, and associations for individuals, identifiable subpopulations, institutions, and organizations.
Diffusion of Innovation Theory
Published April 10, 2023Diffusion of Innovation Theory (E.M. Rogers, 1960s) – descriptive model of how perceived innovations – including ideas, actions, or artefacts – are adopted by and diffuse through a population. It distinguishes types of adoptors, stages of innovation, and principal factors that influence adoption .
Polyvagal Theory
Published April 8, 2023Polyvagal Theory (Stephen Porges, 1990s) – the perspective that the nervous system has three types of response: activating/defensive (see Fight–Flight–Freeze System, under Drives, Needs, & Desires Theories), deactivating/growth, and a hybrid mode that plays out in social engagements. While contested and not endorsed by mainstream Social Neuroscience, Polyvagal Theory is the basis of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy, under Psychotherapy).
Post-Critical Philosophy
Published April 2, 2023Post-Critical Philosophy (Michael Polanyi, 1950s) – a science-based critique or the Critical Perspective, asserting it to be dehumanizing as it wrings knowledge of meaning, decontextualizes claims to truth, ignores subjective experience, and separates knower from known
Critical Perspective (Critical Intellectual Sensibility; Critical Mode; Critical Philosophical Orientation)
Published April 2, 2023Critical Perspective (Critical Intellectual Sensibility; Critical Mode; Critical Philosophical Orientation) (note: should not be confused with Critical Theory, under Critical Pedagogy) – the worldview associated with the rise of modern science, including Objectivism and Reductionism (see above)
Forest Kindergarten (Waldkindergarten)
Published April 1, 2023Forest Kindergarten (Waldkindergarten) (Ella Flautau, 1950s) – a daycare, pre-school, or Kindergarten experience that is undertaken almost entirely outdoors in a forest environment, in which both structured and unstructured activities are centered on aspects or objects of nature
Free-Range Parenting (Panda Parenting)
Published April 1, 2023Free-Range Parenting (Panda Parenting) (Lenore Skenazy, 2000s) – a mode of parenting that is associated with nurturance of independent functioning, in manners appropriate to a child’s age and developmental level