Beyond educational psychology: Steps toward an educational semiotic

Abstract

In this paper, I argue that educational p3ychology is deeply embedded & an objectivist epistemology, the consequences of which seriously undermine our ability to inform educational practice. In the remainder of the paper, I provide an introduction to semiotics, the doctrine of signs, and offer four global concepts (the sign, semiosis, inference, and reflexivity) that I believe set semiotics apart from other, more or less related, approaches within psychology and educational psychology (e.g., constructiv&m). I conclude the paper by responding to some of the more frequently asked questions I have encountered in attempting to define an educational semiotic.

Understanding the effects of constructivist learning environments: introducing a multi-directional approach

“…In other words, the acquisition of knowledge is a process of knowledge construction (Cunningham 1992). The core element of this assumption is that learners interpret new information using knowledge that they have already acquired.…”

The role of unconscious information processing in the acquisition and learning of instructional messages

“…Signs allow students to represent or interpret the objects; thus signs, objects, and students are the structural components of knowledge constructions (Cunningham, 1992;Driscoll & Lebow, 1992). Accordingly, if students are assisted in building their own signs and generating knowledge of the objects or items presented, they can automatically engage in learning activities, facilitating their understanding and making inferences (Winn, Hoffman, & Osberg, 1995).…”

“…It should be noted that students do not create meaning directly from presented instructional messages, but rather they experience, construct, and represent information through signs (Cunningham, 1992). Signs allow students to represent or interpret the objects; thus signs, objects, and students are the structural components of knowledge constructions (Cunningham, 1992;Driscoll & Lebow, 1992).…”

Middle Grades Students’ Situation Definitions: Development of a Knowledge-Linking Inventory

“…At the core of perspectives such as constructivism, whether cognitive-or socioconstructivism, is the individual learner's lens that is developed from prior experiences and used in the interpretation of new events and information encountered (e.g., Cunningham, 1992;von Uexkull, 1957). For this study, the prior experiences of the learner stemmed from environments both in and outside school, while the new information was similar to that typically studied in schools.…”