Promoting Active Learning With Cognitive Tools
Anja Becker
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Institut für Psychologie
Oranienburger Str. 18
10178 Berlin
anja.becker@psychologie.hu-berlin.de
Computer software can fulfill various tasks
within an instructional context. One of the most predominating
functions is the tutorial one. The computer act as a medium to
transfer information coded in different symbol systems to the
learner. Such a medial learning offer is developed to facilitate
the learner's acquirement of knowledge about a specific domain.
The learner is seen here as a passive recipient to whom the
software can transport the necessary information. The underlying
learning process and thus the construction of a mental model is
not directly supported.
However, computer programs can also fulfill
the function of cognitive learning tools. The focal point here is
not the transfer of information itself but the stimulation of
cognitive information processing that is functional for the
construction of the mental model. Cognitive Tools are designed to
incite the learner to process the given information more actively
and thereby attain a deeper understanding and a well-elaborated
cognitive structure of the learned circumstance. The development
of cognitive learning tools is currently still in its infancy and
effect analyses are rare.
In an experimental study the use of
different cognitive tools and their effects on learning outcome
were analyzed. The learners were given textual information describing
a technical system. The learning objective was to operate the
system in order to produce a particular chemical substance. While
processing the text three groups were provided either with a
simulation of the system's display, a picture whose components
could be labeled by the learner, or a tool to compose and sort
the operating procedure. Another group did not receive any of
these tools.
As the results show, most of the learners without
any external support do not adopt adequate strategies to achieve
the learning goal, whereas those who were provided with cognitive
tools carried out additional learning activities. The functional
utilization of different tools results in various strategies of
information processing. This leads to differences in knowledge
structure that affect performance in several kinds of tests.
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