Technology & Cognition Resources
As noted in the course description, the purpose of this course is to present major theories of learning and instruction and discuss their relationship to the use of computers in education. Emphasis is placed on current learning sciences theories and their role in the design and use of educational technology in real world settings.
Module II: The Design of Learning Environments
Your beliefs about how people learn have a profound impact on the manner in which you will design instructional materials and resources. Your students will appreciate you doing this according to the principles of how people learn. As you work through the readings below, remember the adage that "last is not least" and be sure to read about Richard Mayer's multimedia learning principles.
- Chapter 6: The Design of Learning Environments (pp. 131-154). In Bransford, J., & National Research Council (U.S.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press.
- Herrington, J., Reeves, T., & Oliver, R. (2014). Authentic Learning Environments. In Spector, M.J., Merrill, M.D., Elen, J., & Bishop, M.J. (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (pp.401-412). New York, NY: Springer.
- Hannafin, M.J, Hill, J.R., Land, S., & Lee, E. (2014). Student-Centered, Open Learning Environments: Research, Theory, and Practice. In Spector, M.J., Merrill, M.D., Elen, J., & Bishop, M.J. (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (pp. 641-651). New York, NY: Springer.
- Mayer, R. (2014). Multimedia Instruction. In Spector, M.J., Merrill, M.D., Elen, J., & Bishop, M.J. (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (pp. 385-399). New York, NY: Springer.
Hands-On Activities
Follow the links below to explore learning environments designed according to the principles of how people learn.
- WISE. The Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) places visualizations in an inquiry-oriented learning environment that embeds scaffolding to enhance student thinking about and with visualizations in order to foster deep understanding. (wise.berkeley.edu)
- SimCalc. A series of studies found that SimCalc helped students learn more complex mathematics while still learning the basics. The success of these projects is attributed to two key features: the use of dynamic representations and the integration of the technology-based representations into an overarching curricular activity system that includes professional development (PD), materials, and technology, all integrated to meet the needs of students, teachers, and schools.
