Chris P. Roe

Cognitive Dimensions of Notations: Design Tools for Cognitive Technology

The Cognitive Dimensions of Notations framework has been created to assist the designers of notational systems and information artifacts to evaluate their designs with respect to the impact that they will have on the users of those designs. The framework emphasizes the design choices available to such designers, including characterization of the users activity, and the inevitable tradeoffs that will occur between potential design options. The resuliing framework has been under development for over 10 years, and now has an active community of researchers devoted to it. This paper first introduces Cognitive Dimensions. It then summarizes the current activity, especially the results of a one-day workshop devoted to Cognitive Dimensions in December 2000, and reviews the ways in which it applies to the field of Cognitive Technology.

Computer support for constructionism in context

The benefits of constructionism as a learning paradigm are widely recognised. Though the constructionist philosophy can be seen as applying to activities that are not necessarily computer-based (such as bricolage and concept mapping), its modern application in educational technology has been closely linked with computer use. In particular, Paperts work on LOGO programming in schools has both informed the original concept of constructionism and been a major influence over subsequent computer-based constructionist developments. This paper questions whether - despite these precedents - traditional computer programming is well-suited for the constructionist educational agenda. It argues that other approaches to computer model-building, such as those based on spreadsheet principles, are in fact much better aligned to the objectives of constructionism. Building on this basis, it proposes that more effective computer support for the constructionist perspective is offered by empirical modelling (EM) within a conceptual experiential framework for learning (the EFL).

Experiences of an educational technology PhD

PhDs in the interdisciplinary field of Educational Technology can be complex to direct and judge. This paper discusses the reasons behind this statement and possible ways in which these difficulties can be resolved.