This book is about the implications of constructivism for instructional design practices, and more importantly, it is about a dialogue between instructional developers and learning theorists. Working with colleagues in each discipline, the editors were amazed to find a general lack of familiarity with each others' work. From an instructional design perspective, it seems that the practice of instructional design must be based on some conception of how people learn and what it means to learn. From a learning theory perspective, it seems obvious that the value of learning theory rests in the ability to predict the impact of alternative learning environments or instructional practices on what is learned. Thus the interchange of ideas between these disciplines is essential. As a consequence of both the information rich environment and the technological capability, business is seen moving away from a fixed curriculum and toward providing information and instruction when it is needed. These changes bring about a window of opportunity establishing a dialogue that will provide for a richer understanding of learning and the instructional environment required to achieve that learning. The editors hope that this book is the beginning of the conversation and that it will serve to spur continued conversation between those involved in learning theory and those involved in the design of instruction.

Technology can be a powerful tool for transforming learning. It can help affirm and advance relationships between educators and students, reinvent approaches to learning and collaboration, shrink long-standing equity and accessibility gaps, and adapt learning experiences to meet the needs of all learners. Technology-Supported Teaching and Research Methods for Educators provides innovative insights into the utilization and maintenance of technology-supported teaching and research methods for educators. The content within this publication represents the work of e-learning, digital technologies, and current issues and trends in the field of teaching and learning in the context of contemporary technologies. It is a vital reference source for school educators, professionals, school administrators, academicians, researchers, and graduate-level students seeking coverage on topics centered on the integration of effective technologies that will support educators and students.

One outcome of recent progress in educational technology is strong interest in providing effective support for learning in complex and ill-structured domains. We know how to use technology to promote understanding in simpler domains (e.g., orientation information, procedures with minimal-branching, etc.), but we are less sure how to use technology to support understanding in more complex domains (e.g., managing limited resources, understanding environmental impacts, etc.). Such domains are increasingly significant for society. Technology (e.g., collaborative tele-learning, digital repositories, interactive simulations, etc.) can provide conceptually and functionally rich domains for learning. However, this introduces the problem of determining what works in which circumstances and why. Research and development on these matters is reflected in this collection of papers. This research suggests a need to rethink foundational issues in educational philosophy and learning technology. One major theme connecting these papers is the need to address learning in the large - from a more holistic perspective. A second theme concerns the need to take learners where and as they are, integrating technology into effective learning places. Significant and systematic progress in learning support for complex domains demands further attention to these important issues.

Bringing together leading thinkers from both sides of the hotly debated controversy about constructivist approaches to instruction, this book presents the evidence for and against constructivism and detailed views from both sides of the controversy. A distinctive feature is the dialogue built into it between the different positions.

The idea for this book grew out of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held at the Catholic University at Leuven, Belgium. We are grateful to NATO for support in conducting this workshop and for support in the preparation of this book. We are particularly grateful for their emphasis on designing the workshop to build collegiality. They suggested that we hold the meeting in a small town and that we organize evening activities to keep the group together and to promote informal and extended discussions. What sage advice. The excitement grew over the three days as we shared understandings and enriched our perspectives. Indeed, there was even a proclaimed "near" conversion to a constructivist perspective from one colleague trained in traditional instructional design methods. While we report this as a bit of a humorous anecdote, it most clearly reflects the sense of excitement that developed. We would also like to thank the staff at the Catholic University for their great support during the workshop. Their efforts and their good cheer were important components in the success of the meeting. In particular we would like to thank Jan Elen, Catherine Vermunicht and Jef Vanden Branden. Finally we would like to thank the personnel at Indiana University for their help in assembling this book. Deborah Shaw prepared the index. We thank her for the skill and speed with which she was able to work.