EDIT 802- Cognition and Technology: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Course Description:
This course examines learning interactions between cognition and technology using multiple disciplinary perspectives including, cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, education, design theory, instructional design, technology design, anthropology, sociology, information science, philosophy, semiotics, linguistics and other applicable fields.
Reflection:
Coming from an Educational Pyschology background I was familiar with learning theories, but I needed a course that could relate learning to technology. The readings, the blog contributions, the revisions of the CATS scale and the evaluation of a Technology supported learning environment all shaped my understanding of designing a technology learning environment that engages the learner through well-designed features. Gibson’s presentation of the term “affordances” guided my thinking about designing learning environments. Through the readings, I was able to conclude that individuals perceive technology affordances differently and that is why when designing a technology-based learning envionment, it is important to take into consideration different learning styles and design for the novice as well for the expert, but more importantly, the environment should be designed effectively to move the learner from a novice to an expert by understanding how the latter gained their expertise.
The readings also were very rich in guiding us to revise an existing scale to measure technology-based leaning envionments, Cognitive Affordances of Technologies Scale (CATS). Mainly I was able to synthesize the important affordance in a technology-based leaning envionment that could help boost learning. The scale was later tested on an existing technology supported leaning environment, MISSION BIOTECH, an immersive Serious Educational Game. The research-supported evaluation of the tool served as a great practice for me to select technology tools in the future, and it also shed the light on basic features that should be present in any learning environment; of those features, I believe that interaction is key in promoting learning.
The artifacts of this course are presented below.