Materialist epistemology lends design wings: educational design as an embodied process

Materialist design is presented as an embodied perspective on educational design that can be applied to redesign of classroom-based learning environments. Materialist design is informed by a framework of materialist epistemology, which positions material innovation on equal placement with symbol-based formal theory. Historical examples of Einstein’s conceptual reliance on trains for his Theory of Relativity and the Wright brothers’ use of wind tunnels in aeronautics illustrate how materialist design drives progress on complex design problems. A key aspect is the application of scale-down methodology, where complex systems are reconceptualized as interactions among nearly decomposable subsystems that can be redesigned and integrated back into the entire system. The application of materialist design is illustrated with the redesign of an embodied video game that uses real-time motion capture technology to promote high school geometry reasoning and proof, following its use in an ethnically and linguistically diverse classroom. Our embodied perspective offers particular insights for understanding and implementing designs of complex learning environments, and assessing their influences on educational practices and student outcomes.