#8. Anchored Instruction

Think outside the box---that is my impression of the goal for anchored instruction. Though it bears similarity to PBL, GBS, and probably other systems, several aspects of anchored instruction make it impressive and insightful. Implementation in various age groups, from first grade to college level, resulted in positive responses and reflects the system's versatility and relevance to a wide range of learners. Anchored instruction benefits both instructors and students. Very realistic situations are presented in the program, and there is opportunity to solve sophisticated problems that experts may encounter (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1992, p.248). The goal is to get the learner to start thinking like an expert, to promote "sustained exploration" and evolve their own knowledge as experts do. Thinking outside the box, so to speak.

Anchored instruction addresses many higher order thinking skills and prides on "macrocontext" or complex contexts that could be explored and revisited in multiple perspectives (Goldman, 1996, p.259). The learner should be able to transfer the knowledge and skills learned  to a variety of disciplines repeatedly, also known as "generative learning" (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1992, p.67). To take a very general example like "how to solve a problem", a student learns the procedures to take when faced with a problem such as define the issue, consider possible solutions and outcomes from the solutions, and select the best solution. This particular problem solving skill can be administered in all types of situations.

Video technology is the driving tool for the anchored instruction system, and it is appropriate to the learning goals and purpose. However, conception, copywriting, design, and production of the videos contribute to the bulk of the positive educational experience so those tasks should not be taken lightly. The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt University sums up why video is used very succinctly: video is "dynamic, visual, and spatial" and may help students "form rich, mental models of the problem situations" (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1992, p.249). Since it is not possible for an expert to be at a student's disposal throughout their education, video is a good compromise as it also has the ability to reach a wide audience. Today we have even more flexibility with how to share and redistribute video with course webpages, websites, and file sharing sites.

The articles focused on anchored instruction programs developed for math and science. How it would apply to other subject areas would require some thought. The "Scientist in Action" series mentioned in the readings gives me the idea to consider something similar for foreign language lessons. Episodic scenarios can be created that build on one another in the areas of vocabulary, grammar, and cultural information. Topics for a beginner can be a student's first visit to China or a Chinese family's home. For more advanced students, the scenarios can be more complex. By participating in the constructed scenarios, students would be able to immerse themselves in the language and to internalize instead of just translate the language. The video medium works perfectly for foreign language instruction. I think students can better associate vocabulary with images rather than plain text. A dictionary would be provided as part of the reference materials and it encourages the student to find information independently.

Construction of a strong program is key in order to elicit the desired responses and active participation from students and instructors. It seems that anchored instruction programs like "The Jasper Woodbury Series" and "The Overturned Tank" have been well-received. Evidently, the amount of planning and design put into them has paid off. Furthermore, the program developers were interested in and listened to stakeholder feedback and suggestions. They responded quickly and followed up with improvements to the system which shows that evaluation is also important to the entire development process.

References:

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992). The Jasper experiment: An exploration of issues in learning and instructional design. Educational Technology Research and Development, 40(1), 65-80.

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992). Anchored instruction in science and mathematics:
Theoretical basis, developmental projects, and initial research findings. In R. A. Duschl, & R. J. Hamilton (Eds.), Philosophy of science, cognitive psychology, and educational theory and practice (pp. 244-273). Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Goldman, S. R., Petrosino, A. J., Sherwood, R. D., Garrison, S., Hickey, D., & Bransford, J. D. (1996). Anchoring science instruction in multimedia learning environments. In E. De Corte, R. Glaser, H. Mandl, & S. Vosniadou (Eds.), International Perspectives on the Design of Technology-Supported Learning Environments (pp. 257-284). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.