A Multi-Disciplinary Cybernetic Approach to Pedagogic Excellence

Abstract

This paper presents a theory of good pedagogy that i) unifies several current theories, ii) is cybernetic, that is, content independent, and iii) operationally defined. The paper builds off a recent theoretical unification of pedagogy using the four pedagogic pillars of <em>executive function, goal-setting, attribution theory, </em>and <em>self-efficacy</em>. A novelty of the theory is avoidance of jargon, such as <em>higher cognitive, </em>which, while having intuitive appeal, has meaning which is ambiguous. The theory also avoids secondary terms such as <em>creative </em>or <em>analytic </em>and instead focuses on root psychological processes such as executive function and multiple modalities. The theory is applied in a multi-disciplinary setting addressing both machine and human mastery of tasks. This multi-disciplinarity is synergistic allowing simultaneous considerations of emotional (human) and efficiency (machine) issues. The theory is easily applied to new situations without the need for special training. It is hoped that instructors will begin to use this approach in their instructional design.