This paper, develops the concept of epistemic frames as a mechanism through which students can use experiences in video games, computer games, and other interactive learning environments to help them deal more effectively with situations outside of the original context of learning.

In this article, I propose a theory of pedagogical praxis. Pedagogical praxis begins with the premise that under the right conditions, computers and other information technologies can make it easier for students to become active participants in meaningful projects and practices in the life of their community and suggests that professional practices such as architecture, mediation, and journalism can provide constructive models for helping students learn from such experiences. In this vision, new technology reinvigorates Dewey’s (1915) idea of linking school with society. Technology builds a bridge that allows young people to participate in the learning practices of professionals; in the process, they develop epistemological frameworks that organize the skills, habits, and understandings they need to thrive in a complex, postindustrial society. Although further work needs to be done to explore the processes through which such learning can take place, studies suggest that this perspective may be a productive avenue for continuing research. This article presents an overview of the theories and methods that inform such work.

Building on the theory of islands of expertise developed by Crowley and Jacobs (2002), in this paper I develop the concept of epistemic frames as a mechanism through which infusion environments can help students use experiences in one context to help them deal with new situations. I describe epistemic frames as the ways of knowing, of deciding what is worth knowing, and of adding to the collective body of knowledge and understanding of a community of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991). I use data from two design experiments to extend the concept of islands of expertise, showing how the ability of students to incorporate epistemic frames into their identities suggests a mechanism through which infusion experiences and other rich learning contexts may support activity in novel situations.

Pedagogical praxis sets out a rich and ambitious agenda of research and reform. The goals of this paper are (a) to describe the basic theoretical claims of pedagogical praxis, (b) to explain the experimental methods that explore these claims, and (c) to present examples of technology-based learning environments that exemplify this process in action. As such, this paper serves as a prolegomenon: an overview of a larger argument. The examples and evidence are intended not to validate the theory of pedagogical praxis, but rather to clarify the kinds of claims it implies and the methods through which these claims are being investigated: to describe the shape and scope of this line of inquiry and to suggest how and why it may be a fruitful area for continuing research.