Don Clark (psychologist)

Don Clark is an educational psychologist known for his work on media in learning, particularly his controversial stance on the "no significant difference" phenomenon. He argues that media, in and of itself, rarely has a significant impact on learning outcomes; rather, effective instructional design is the key determinant of learning effectiveness, regardless of the medium used.

Clark's research focuses on the cognitive processes involved in learning and how different instructional strategies can facilitate or hinder those processes. He emphasizes the importance of aligning instructional methods with cognitive principles to optimize learning. He is a proponent of evidence-based practices in education and advocates for rigorous research methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional interventions.

His work often involves critiquing research that claims to demonstrate the superiority of one media format over another. He contends that many such studies fail to adequately control for variables related to instructional design and that the observed differences are often attributable to variations in instructional quality rather than the medium itself. He has written extensively on this topic and has contributed to numerous books and journal articles.

Clark's views have been influential and have sparked considerable debate within the field of educational technology. While some researchers support his position, others argue that certain media formats are inherently more conducive to certain types of learning or that media can play a significant role in motivating and engaging learners. Despite the controversy, Clark's work has prompted researchers and practitioners to focus more attention on the critical role of instructional design in achieving desired learning outcomes.