Technology Enhanced Learning and Cognition (Benjamins Current Topics)

✍ Scribed by Dr. Itiel E. Dror

• Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 277
• Series: Benjamins Current Topics
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The use of technology in learning has increased dramatically. Training and education is now utilizing and almost integrated with the World Wide Web, podcasts, mobile and distant learning, interactive videos, serious games, and a whole range of e-learning. However, has such technology enhanced learning been effective? And how can it better serve training and education?E-learning must be 'brain friendly', so it optimizes learning to the cognitive architecture of the learners. If technology enhanced learning promotes the formation of effective mental representations and works with the human cognitive system, then the learners will not only be able to acquire information more efficiently, but they will also remember it better and use it. Technology should not be the driving force in shaping e-learning, but rather how that technology can better serve the cognitive system.This volume, originally published as a special issue of Pragmatics & Cognition 16:2 (2008) and partly in Pragmatics & Cognition 17:1 (2009), explores the research frontiers in cognition and learning technology. It provides important theoretical insights into these issues, as well as very practical implications of how to make e-learning more brain friendly and effective.

✦ Table of Contents

Technology Enhanced Learning and Cognition......Page 2
Editorial page......Page 3
Title page......Page 4
LCC data......Page 5
Table of contents......Page 6
About the authors......Page 8
Brain friendly technology: What is it? And why do we need it?......Page 12
References......Page 17
1. Introduction......Page 20
2. Complex systems for science education......Page 21
2.1 Advantages of simulations......Page 23
3. Fostering transfer......Page 26
4. Case study: Competitive specialization......Page 28
4.1 Specialization in literal space......Page 30
4.2 Specialization in metaphorical space......Page 33
5. Experimental findings......Page 36
5.1 Perceptual concreteness and idealization......Page 37
5.2 Intuitive concreteness......Page 40
6. Experiment 1......Page 41
6.2 Results......Page 42
7.1 Method......Page 46
7.2 Results......Page 47
8. Experiment 3......Page 50
8.2 Results and discussion......Page 51
9. Some design principles for interactive simulations......Page 52
References......Page 54
Appendix......Page 59
1. Introduction......Page 62
2.1 Scaffolding learning......Page 64
2.2 Attention and attention aware systems......Page 66
2.3 Attention awareness for adaptive scaffolding......Page 71
3.1 Model input: Events......Page 72
3.2 Learner model......Page 76
3.3 Task model......Page 77
3.4 Model output: Interventions......Page 79
3.5 Attention based approach to scaffolding......Page 85
4. A system for adaptive scaffolding supported by an attention aware system......Page 87
4.1 The reasoning module......Page 89
4.2 The tracking modules......Page 90
4.4 The embodied agent......Page 91
4.5 Intervention model......Page 92
5. Preliminary evaluation......Page 96
5.1 The test-runs: User perception......Page 97
5.2 The pilot......Page 99
6. Conclusions......Page 101
Notes......Page 103
References......Page 104
1. Introduction......Page 108
2. Blogs and wikis......Page 110
3. The context of the case studies......Page 111
3.1 An overview: Case studies of two courses at the OU......Page 112
4.1 Introducing wikis to students......Page 113
4.2 Collaborative requirements engineering......Page 114
4.4 Data Sources and Data Analysis......Page 115
5.1 Collaborative learning......Page 117
5.2 Obstacles to collaboration......Page 118
5.3 Collaborative authoring......Page 119
5.4 Technological and social obstacles......Page 120
6. The use of blogs on the ‘E-Learning Professional’ course......Page 123
6.2 Reflective learning and blogging......Page 124
6.4 Data sources and data analysis......Page 125
7. Evaluation of the blogging case study......Page 126
7.1 Usage of blogs on the course......Page 127
7.2 Pedagogical effectiveness of blogs and blogging......Page 130
7.3 Obstacles to blogging......Page 132
7.4 Factors that influence blogging......Page 134
8. Discussion......Page 137
Notes......Page 140
References......Page 141
1. Introduction......Page 144
2.1 Disciplinary stance: An example......Page 146
2.2 Sociocultural and cognitive warrants for the notion of disciplinary stance......Page 147
3. Discipline-specific strategic support (DSSS): Technological support for cultivating a disciplinary stance......Page 148
4.1 Evolution — a test case......Page 149
4.3 An investigation model for natural selection in the wild......Page 150
4.4 Enabling novices to investigate from a disciplinary stance: Reflecting the investigation model in software tools and prompts......Page 151
4.6 DSSS against the backdrop of the challenges of inquiry-based science learning......Page 155
5. The present study: The role of software-realized scaffolding in cultivating a disciplinary stance in science classrooms......Page 156
6. Methods......Page 157
6.2 Groups of focus for the contrastive-case analysis......Page 158
6.3 Data collection and analysis......Page 159
7.1 Pre/post-test findings: Aggregate changes in disciplinary knowledge and skill......Page 160
7.2 Contrastive-case analysis: Exploring differences in DSSS-supported interactions......Page 162
8. Discussion......Page 170
8.1 DSSS as a means for balancing content and process learning goals......Page 171
8.2 DSSS and free exploration: From rudimentary exploration to disciplinary intent......Page 173
9. Conclusion......Page 175
References......Page 176
Appendix A: Biology Pre/Post-test Isomorphic Version A......Page 181
Appendix B: Biology Pre/Post-test Isomorphic Version B......Page 186
Appendix C: Coding Scheme for Observations Rating Justifications......Page 191
Appendix D: Sample Log File Excerpt (DEG group second session)......Page 192
Perceptual learning and the technology of expertise......Page 194
1.1 Perceptual learning......Page 195
1.2 Research in perceptual learning......Page 198
1.3 Elements of PLMs......Page 199
1.4 Applying perceptual learning to high-level, symbolic, explicit tasks......Page 201
1.5 Perceptual learning and cognitive load......Page 202
2. Experiment 1: Perceptual learning in fractions......Page 203
2.1 Methods......Page 206
2.2 Results......Page 212
2.3 Discussion......Page 215
3. Perceptual learning in algebra: Experiment 2......Page 216
3.1 Methods......Page 218
3.2 Results......Page 221
3.3 Discussion......Page 225
4. Perceptual learning in algebra: Experiment 3......Page 227
4.1 Method......Page 228
4.2 Results......Page 231
4.3 Discussion......Page 234
5. General discussion......Page 235
5.3 A paradox: Natural PL vs. PL technology......Page 237
5.4 Other features of learning technology......Page 238
Notes......Page 239
References......Page 240
1. Introduction......Page 244
2. Design-based science learning: Promises and challenges......Page 246
2.1 Learning by Design™: Fulfilling the promises of DBSL......Page 247
2.2 The challenges......Page 248
3. Addressing DBSL challenges through software assistance......Page 249
3.1 An explanation-construction tool to bridge the design-science gap......Page 250
3.2 Simulation and modeling software to overcome time, materials, and other environmental constraints......Page 251
4. The plausibility of proposed software solution: A pilot investigation......Page 252
4.1 Context of the investigation: The Vehicles in Motion unit......Page 253
4.2 The design of SIMCARS software......Page 254
4.3 The pilot study details......Page 256
4.4 Preliminary findings......Page 257
4.5 Discussion......Page 259
5. A Formal investigation: How might use of an explanation-construction tool influence classroom discourse?......Page 260
5.2 The design of SHADE software and its integration into the Hovercraft unit......Page 261
5.4 Procedure......Page 263
5.5 Findings and analysis......Page 264
5.6 Discussion......Page 269
6. Conclusion......Page 271
Notes......Page 272
References......Page 273
Index......Page 276
The series Benjamins Current Topics......Page 277