I am on the fence as far as the real value of FOI. My father was an experimental learning psychologist by profession, and I recogize the things in FOI that stem from his group (people like Abraham Maslow, B.F. Skinner, more recently Daryl Bem). A major portion of FOI comes directly from experimental psychology, a pure science that adheres rigidly to scientific method. Experimental psychologists pride themselves on this and do not make claims unsupported by experimentation lest they be shunned by their peers.
Educational academics on the other hand adheres to less rigid standards and is not as scientific. Things stemming from educational academics are often open to dispute in my view. It's not that I see rules or advice in the FOI without any merit, it's that I see a considerable amount of dogma being proposed as fact. Much of it does not seem supported by methodical research and shows up as the elevation of one ideal over another.
An example:
6025. Which is generally the more effective way for an instructor to properly motivate students?
A-Maintain pleasant personal relationships with students.
B-Provide positive motivations by the promise or achievement of rewards.
C-Reinforce their self-confidence by requiring no tasks beyond their ability to perform.
The right answer is supposedly the second, but I would never answer that over the first. It's a matter of values. I would find enticement by specific rewards patronizing. On the other hand, if I felt I had a nice instructor then I would look forward to working with and for their satisfaction. I would want their affection and approval, which is far more satisfying than a specific reward. Examples like this make me think experimental psychology was not used to generate it, rather some dogmatic motive is in play.
On the other hand, whether it is dogma or fact the contents FOI is fairly easy to memorize to pass the test, and I doubt any of it is actually harmful. I asked my father to look through it, let's see what he says; I anticipate he will think it's mostly silly.
Last edited by Cubdriver; 03-15-2007 at 11:00 AM.