Agent as Detector: An Ecological Psychology Perspective on Learning by Perceiving-Acting Systems

Ecological psychology has much to contribute as a theory of design for instructional and learning systems. With its roots in the psychology of James Gibson (1986), present day ecological psychology provides a unique understanding of how students think and learn, and further, how technology can enhance thinking and learning. This paper explores ecological psychology as a basis for design theory by describing five key ideas, then describing how they influenced four ongoing research projects concerning on-line log file analysis, collaborative learning, a reconceptualization of motivation, and teacher's naïve perceptions of curricular use of educational technology.