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> EIPT 6333 : Computer-Supported Learning Environments
Articles/Books Citation
1. Lajorie & Derry (2000). Computers as Cognitive
Tools: No More Walls.
Chapter 5
This chapter discusses the different ways that
web-based instructions can be seen as a cognitive tool.
The authors suggest that the three camps (modelers, non-modelers,
and middle campers) introduced by Lajorie can be represented
on the web. In support of modelers, the web is capable
of having full-blown intelligent tutors that constantly
model learners’ knowledge based on learners’
responses to questions and task presented. In support
of non-modelers, the web can act as starting points from
which students can explore information on the web to construct
unique and personally meaningful cognitive structures
with little or no system control. And in support of middle
campers, the web can attempt to balance learner freedom
and system control, perhaps providing feedback to students
as data for self-reflection, but not dictation what they
should do next.
The author describes four instructional elements that
are used any learning environment:
- Information organization and access
– acquiring declarative knowledge
- Authentic activities – connecting
knowledge to situational conditions
- Collaborative learning –
refining and constructing shared understanding of
knowledge
- Student Modeling –
metacognitive monitoring of knowledge acquisition
to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
In information organization and access, learners can get
information from at least four kinds of sources on the
web: (1) non-instructional sources, (2) Instructionally
oriented information resources, (3) Student-controlled
embedded help system, and (4) System-controlled
feedback. Non-instructional sites include information
on specific topics, such as museum sites, government sites,
online databases, and expert systems. Instructional oriented
informational sites are specifically design for a particular
audience and provide how-to and step-by-step instructions,
course notes and lesson plans. Student-controlled embedded
help systems allows students to access help whenever the
student are stuck or need help. Finally, system-controlled
feedback allows the system to determine when the learners
need feedback. Student’s data are tracked and the
system uses their data in analyzing when to give the feedback
and how the feedback should be given.
In Authentic activities, students are provided an environment
for situated learning. There are three types of authentic
activities: (1) contextually authentic activities,
(2) cognitively authentic activities, and (3)
construction activities. Contextually authentic
activities require students to think and act like experts
in order to solve realistic problems. Contextually authentic
activities allow the practice of cognitive practice of
cognitive process that are critical to developing expertise
in a domain. Construction Activities require analysis,
integration, and organization of information in order
to communicate it to others in a variety of products such
as multimedia reports or web sites.
In collaborative learning, students, teachers, and
other professional from any location can work on collaborative
projects with teachers and students in classrooms without
ever leaving their labs. Such technologies include bulletin
boards, chat rooms, and audio/video conferencing.
An the final instructional element, student modeling,
is a concept that comes from intelligent tutoring systems,
in which a student’s actions are recorded and
analyzed to create a model of the student’s level
of mastery of specific knowledge units in a curriculum.
I though this article was interesting. They provided a
lot of example sites in which supports web-based instructions.
The most interesting tool was ELM-ART (http://cogqsy.uni-trier.de:8000/TLServ-e.html).
The navigation was very intuitive, they provided a knowledge
based of definitions and information about the topic,
provided instant messaging and online help (through email),
provided note-taking, and tracked the students progress
and statistics. Although it is not the author’s
fault, I was kind of disappointed that a lot of the link
did not exist anymore. About half of the link in this
chapter did not work. I was also hoping that there would
be some kind of empirical research in which would enforced
these instructional elements.
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