Though these paradigms are usually attributed to Kemmis, Atkin and Wright they appear to have been originally published in MacDonald et al (1997).

Kemmis et al present three or four (see below) paradigms, which they say are for thinking about the key ways in which 'curriculum task' can be conceived of by educational software developers (or computer assisted learning developers as they referred to them).

The three or four paradigms are:

• The Instructional Paradigm - based on Skinerian/behaviourist theory and epitomised by drill-and-practice programs.
• The Revelatory Paradigm - based on theorists such as Bruner (and Ausubel) and including simulation and some data-handling programs.
• The Conjectural Paradigm - based on constructivist theories (Piaget, Popper, Papert) and including "modelling and Artificial Intelligence packages and for computer science applications" (Kemmis et al 1977 p26)
• The Emancipatory Paradigm - is qualitatively different to the first three paradigms in that (a) it cuts across them rather than being discrete and (b) it deals with the degree to which student 'labour' is authentic rather than inauthentic.

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Last updated 7th January 2002