Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Conversation On Instructional Design, Robert M. Gagné, M. David Merrill

University Extension - OCW

This conversation between Dr. Robert Gagné, and Dr. M. David Merrill, took place July 10, 1989 before an audience of about 200 at Utah State University. A series of papers based on this discussion later appeared in Educational Technology Magazine. The conversation highlights the main points of Gagne and Merrill's respective learning theories, and a comparison of the events of instruction, and Component Display Theory.

From Wikipedia -Robert Mills Gagné was an American educational psychologist best known for his "Conditions of Learning". Gagné pioneered the science of instruction during WWII for the air force with pilot training. Later he went …

Putnam On 'Empirical Objects', Gorden Steinhoff

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Putnam claims that the objects we experience are “mind-dependent” and “theory-dependent”. He also writes that they are “constructed within our theories”. It is difficult to say what he means by these claims. I conclude that, according to Putnam, “empirical objects” do not really exist. But I attempt to show the sense in which he can be considered a realist about these objects. Putnam has adopted an idealism which allows for the correctness of realist claims within appropriate contexts. I also discuss Putnam's solution to the problem of how we manage to refer to “empirical objects”. I argue that this solution, …