ABSTRACT
The discipline of instructional design (ID) has always depended heavily on psychology for its theoretical grounding, often to the neglect of other impor tant theory bases. Educational psychologists and cognitive scientists periodi cally turn their attention to instructional design, engaging the field in conver sation and leading toward exciting new conceptions of learning and instruc tion. For some time, the brand of psychology discussed in ID circles has been fairly progressive. Thus, although many of the systematic procedures for instructional development remain rooted in efficiency notions of curricu lum, the newer instructional theories themselves tend to rest on constructiv ist and situated foundations. Consistent with this progressive shift, attention has been given to more open instructional metaphors such as learning envi ronments and learning communities.
