The Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) was developed in the early 1990’s by Rand J Spiro and colleagues (Spiro, Feltovich, Jacobson, & Coulson, 1991) . This constructivist instructional theory is designed for ill-structured learning situations and complex knowledge areas such as history, medicine and law. It allows for authentic and realistic experiences where learners can construct their own meaning through multiple perspectives and approaches to solving problems.
The goal of CFT is to help learners construct their own knowledge and be able to transfer the knowledge to different situations beyond the initial learning context.
-
Learning domains must provide multiple representations, explanations, and examples of instructional material so that learners can construct information representations.
-
Instruction for mastery of complexity and application should reflect the conceptual interrelatedness and interconnectedness of ideas in complex knowledge domains.
-
Instructional materials should focus on knowledge construction rather than transmission of information.
-
Instruction should support context-specific knowledge and avoid oversimplification, compartmentalization and/or linearity of content.
-
Instruction should include practical, real-world contexts to allow transfer of basic concepts and theories to be applied in dynamic situations.
Importance to Instructional Design
The Cognitive Flexibility Theory is an important tool for instructional designers because it helps support nonlinear, multiple representations of material in complex and ill-structured learning domains. The theory has been used to effectively support hypermedia technologies like Web-based instruction. The theory also empowers the learner by allowing the use of self-evaluation techniques and individualized instruction controlled by the learner.
Like a few other instructional design theories, mostly attitudinal, Cognitive Flexibility Theory is a great supplement to other theories that have more concrete methods. In the ill-structured K-12 environment, which is now embracing constructivist methods more openly, CFT can potentially help foster a higher degree of learning. The ability for students to transfer what they have learned to other situations is invaluable outside of the classroom and CFT can help. One problem with CFT, is not so much a problem with the theory itself but the environment it is to be implemented in. The current K-12 assessment push has been towards more accountability with objective, standardized testing. CFT does not support more objective assessment techniques since each student will end up with a different view of the knowledge acquired. Like most of the other theories outlined in this knowledge base, there needs to be a change in the system, and not so much in the theory.
Spiro, R. J., Feltovich, P. J., Jacobson, M. J., & Coulson, R. L. (1991). Cognitive flexibility, constructivism, and hypertext: Random access instruction for advanced knowledge acquisition in ill-structured domains. Educational Technology, 24-33.