How Situated is Cognition?

This paper discusses the recent views on knowl­ edge, representations, and memory as pre­ sented by different researchers under the flag of 'situated cognition*. The situated view im­ plies a radical shift of paradigm. We argue that there are no strong reasons to leave the traditional paradigm of cognitive science and AI. Four main issues are addressed; the role of computational models in theories of cogni­ tion, theories on knowledge and memory, the frame of reference problem and implications for learning and instruction. The main conclusion of the paper is that 'situationism' is throwing out the baby with the bath water. Consoli­ dated achievements of Cognitive Science and AI still stand, even if the architectures that are assumed to underly traditional models of cog­ nition can be challenged.