Learning was once thought of as a highly transmissive process, where good teaching was defined primarily by the clarity of an instructional message communicated to a student. Most modern learning theorists and educational psychologists have dismissed this knowledge transmission model, yet it remains as the predominant mode of instruction in many educational settings.

The goal of this course is to explore this irony by surveying the major contributions of behavioral, cognitive and social psychology, as well as learning style, motivation and moral development theories, to the design of effective learning environments, especially those that include educational technology systems and products.