Learning environments: The case for evidence-based practice and issue-driven research

In his thought-provoking review of current trends in educational research, Winn offers advice to practitioners and to researchers concerning the role of computer-based simulations in education (Winn, W. ( 2000). Educ. Psychol. Rev. 14, 331-351). In this critique, I offer two proposals for consideration by those who wish to make practical recommendations about learning environments: (1) Recommendations for practice should be based on specifically relevant evidence. (2) The available methods for collecting evidence should not exclude controlled experiments; instead, researchers should be free to choose among experimental or observational methods, use quantitative or qualitative measures, focus on artificial or naturalistic settings, and invent new techniques as needed. In short, I join the call for evidence-based practice and issue-driven research.