In IU IST R626, we are analyzing Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience* as it relates to learning and instructional design. For discussion and debate, our prof. broke our group into pro / con camps and I am part of "con". I have been digging into some online resources and (so far) have come up with links to the following:
- A. J. Marr (aka Dr. Mezner) – http://www.homestead.com/flowstate/essmezmer.html and http://mezmer.blogspot.com/2004_10_01_archive.html
- Flow theory.com:
Dissertation site – an exploration of the importance of website
usability from a business perspective – dissertation pdf linked here http://www.flowtheory.com/KTMDissertation.pdf - Donahoe & Palmer
- Novak
* Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row. ISBN 0-06-092043-2
Reigeluth asserts (in Instructional-Design Theories and Models V.II p.
13), "In contrast to learning theories, instructional-design theories
are more directly and easily applied to educational problems, for they
describe specific events outside of the learner that facilitate
learning (i.e. methods of instruction) rather than describing what goes
on inside a learner's head when learning occurs." Based on Reigeluth's statement, I argue that Flow is neither a Learning Theory or an Instructional Theory:
- Flow as a Learning Theory: Flow is not a Learning Theory as it does not describe how learning
occurs or "what goes on inside a learner's head when learning occurs".
Rather, Flow describes a state of being. As defined in Flow on p. 4,
Flow is "the state in which people are so involved in an activity that
nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable
that people will do it event at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing
it." However, where is the connection between that state of being and
learning? While a person may be focused and involved, is that person
"learning" or is he / she just focused on completing a task? In
addition, even though, as Ray points out, the required elements to
produce Flow overlap with theories about motivation (namely, Keller's
ARCS theory of motivation), it is not clear that motivation is a
necessary condition in learning. In Psychology of Learning for
Instruction, Driscoll notes studies in which "learning seemed to occur
without a clear motivation for it" and cites arguments that "motivation
relates to the use of knowledge, not the development of it." (p. 311,
2005) Therefore, while a person may become more motivated in a Flow
state, it is not clear how or if that will lead to learning. - Flow as an Instructional Design Theory:
Flow is also not an Instructional Design Theory as it does not
prescribe instructional methods to apply to educational problems. As
noted above, Flow describes conditions that seem to lead to a state of
being, but it does not prescribe methods of instruction that facilitate
learning.
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