Edu 800 Annotation Week 1

Sawyer, R. K. (2006). Introduction: The New Science of Learning. In R. K. Sawyer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of: The learning sciences (pp. 1–16). Cambridge University Press.

In the first chapter of his book The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences, Keith Sawyer focuses on the evolution of the science of learning and deals with explaining the various stages of this process over the years. Ultimately, the divide between education and science has narrowed to a degree, and with that narrowing, new understandings of what education and knowledge really mean for both educators and learners have also emerged. Sawyer explains that as societies develop, the needs for knowledge evolve as well and the old practices of learning rote knowledge will not suffice for graduates of a “knowledge economy.”

The article has its strengths in the body of research it presents. The historical timeline of how education transformed from the industrial ideology of instructionism to an educational technology-driven knowledge economy is discussed, and the foundations of learning science are explained. Sawyer examines the impact that the changes in societal needs impact the requirements for what qualifies as “knowledge.” He also delves into the processes of learning, how learning happens, and strategies that promote better learning such as scaffolding.

This article is pertinent to my work as a researcher in educational technology because it examines the connections of the development of learning science as it correlates to the changes in the economy and society. The understandings that Sawyer present culminate to demonstrate the complex landscapes of science, education, and society and the overlapping dynamics that must be examined together. Sawyer mentions in the conclusion that “the history of scientific approaches to education” has left us all somewhat wanting due to its sterile studies of learning in laboratory settings and the snobbish desire of scientists to impose on teachers to adopt theory without question. This fusion sets the backdrop for the need for learning scientists in school settings which is vital to creating positive learning outcomes.