 |
Edited by Dr. David J. Ayersman, Mary Washington College, and
Dr. Lynne Schrum, University of Georgia
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| formerly Journal of Research on Computing in
Education |
Volume 35 Number 3
Spring 2003
Using
Cognitive Tools to Represent Problems
David Jonassen
University of Missouri
Abstract
The premise of this paper is that the key to problem
solving is adequately representing the problem to be solved. Most
research has focused
on how problems are (re)presented to learners. The assumption that
those external representations naturally map onto learners’ internal
representations of problems has not been confirmed. New research
has examined the role of tools for externalizing learners’ internal
representations. Descriptions of how three kinds of cognitive
tools—semantic networks, expert systems, and systems modeling
tools—can be
used to externalize learner’s internal representations are
provided. Research is needed to study the efficacy of these tools for
supporting
problem solving.
Contributors
David Jonassen is Distinguished Professor of Learning Technologies
at the University of Missouri. Since earning his doctorate in
educational
media and experimental educational psychology from Temple
University, Jonassen has taught at Pennsylvania State University, the
University of
Colorado, the University of Twente in the Netherlands, the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Syracuse University. He
has
published 23 books and numerous articles, papers, and reports on
text design, task analysis, instructional design, computer-based
learning,
hypermedia, constructivist learning, cognitive tools, and
technology in learning. He has consulted with businesses, universities,
public
schools, and other institutions around the world. His current
research focuses on constructing design models and environments for
problem
solving.
Contact
David Jonassen
University of Missouri
School of Information Science and Learning Technologies
221C Townsend Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
A PDF file of the full articles is available. Contact: jrte@iste.org.
Please specifiy Volume and Issue number and article name.
Copyright ©
2003, ISTE
(International Society for Technology in Education).
All rights reserved.
| problem solving, problem representation, cognitive tools, systems modeling, concept mapping, expert systems |
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