Chapters 5-8

Chapter 5


Modeling Systems
Systems

The Beginning of the chapter stresses on the importance of CONTENT.

Modeling systems with concept maps:

• Concept mapping enables learners to identify components and allow them to link systemic interactions between those said components in order to explore relationships and interaction
  • However, concept maps can NOT represent the dynamic nature of interactions such as cause and effect. Systems modeling tools are needed for such a venture.

Modeling Systems with systems modeling tools

Dynamic systems models are created by by describing the quantitative relationships among the components, then testing them by running the models.

• It is essential to question student models so they can make necessary adjustments.
• The teacher needs a well-developed conceptual framework to question the validity of student models.

Modeling systems with spreadsheets
Spreadsheets are effective for illustrating dynamic interaction among system components.


Chapter 6


The beginning states "The more accurate a learner's representation of a problem, the better the learners solution is likely to be.

Spreadsheets:
Can be used to model nearly all phenomena in math and science.
Simply change the values of the variables and the other variables in the figures change.

Expert systems:
Solving problems requires some form of causal reasoning.
The more complex the problem is, the more sophisticated the causal reasoning must be.

Decisions are usually stated first.

Identify the decision factors in the form of questions that will be asked of the user

The designer writes the rules using IF-THEN (Boolean) logic to relate the decisions to the decision factors or questions

• To guide further interpretation of information about the   problem
• to simulate the behavior of the system based on knowledge about the properties of the system
• to associate with and trigger a particular solution scheme

Qualitative data- Deals with descriptions, data can be observed but not measured, focus on the quality

Quantitative Data- Deals with numbers, data can be measured, focus on the quantity of data

Modeling Problems
with Databases

• In solving problems domain knowledge should be well organized and accessible.
• The tables in a relational database can be searched together, to answer queries.  Queries are formal searches of the database that can be predefined in the database program.
• The figure below shows the results of a formal query conducted in access, a database program.

Chapter 7
The Beginning of the chapter begins with "to be part of a culture, it is necessary to be connected to the stoires that about in that culture.  Telling stories is a primary means for negotiating meanings, and stories assist us in understanding human action, intentionality, and temporality."

Stories relate to direct experience:  Assume we learn from experiences and learn from stories of other people's experiences.  Stories are rich, powerful formalisms, and store and describe memories.


Understanding what people know:  Analyze their stories, Case Based Reasoning or CBR.
CBR- represents what people know
WHat people know is stored in memory as stories

Modeling Experiences in Databases

Collecting stories and experiences in a database is essential if you wish to recall the information for future reference. The database and an effective indexing system allows for fast recall of previous experiences.

Modeling Experiences with Hypermedia

Telling a story about someone or a group of people can be done by biography, documentary or ethnography. The hypermedia tool that was used to create the narratives was Storyspace. Storyspace is a generative, flexible writing environment that lets you collect, store, and experiment with your story ideas without having to worry about how they all fit together right away. The students enjoyed creating video, pictures and narratives to develop their biographical projects. It was interesting to know that narrative forms of representation are better retained and comprehended than declarative forms.
The people who investigate customs, habits and social interactions are ethnographers. In order to capture multiple perspectives and data, Riki Goldman Seagull developed Learning Constellations. Her concept knowledge base allowed students to collaborate and create a multimedia culture in the classroom. Although telling stories is a vital part of human interaction, it can be an effective learning tool as well.

Chapter 8

This chapter details different models of cognition and encourages the use of Mindtools for modeling meta-cognition. In simple terms, metacognition is thinking about thinking. In a more definitive description of the term, metacognition refers to higher order thinking which engages active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning. Metacognition occurs when “one must stand back from a particular mental activity and comment on the activity rather than participating in it” (Reisberg, 1997). These processes are important skills that are required for most higher order thinking processes.

Constructing Cognitive Simulations

Cognitive simulations are otherwise known as models of cognition. “Cognitive simulations are runnable computer programs that represent models of human cognitive activities” (Roth, Woods, & People, 1992, p. 1163). The main rationale of cognitive simulations is to regard mental constructs for analysis and theory building.

Cognitive simulations were created by Newell and Simon at some stage in the information processing revolution in psychology. In 1972, computers had just started to be utilized to illustrate how humans actually processed information. The development of an operational computer model of those processes seemed to be the most scientific way to simulate the processes. This cognitive simulation represent the link between psychology and computers. While the computers and tools that the psychologists and computer scientists used in order to create these simulations were very difficult and computer intensive, the Mindtools in this book are easier to utilize to construct the cognitive simulations.
In the beginning, cognitive simulations were utilized for the designing and implementation of intelligent tutoring systems. These tutoring systems are meant to analyze and identify a student’s understanding of a subject and adjust the instruction to the student’s capabilities

Jonasson describes his own experience with psychology students and their task to build a rule based cognitive simulation. The students began by identifying a number of learning strategies such as
Recall
Organization
Integration

Elaboration
Students learned that metacognition is tied to the learning need. Therefore any abstract model of metacognition must also be tied to a particular learning need.

The following rule base was established that takes into account learner and task characteristics:
1. Processing depth
2. Learner characteristics (what do they know, what do they need to know, learning style)
3. Difficulty level of the task
4. Support strategies (eg. energy level, interest level, place of study, perception of ability).
Plugging in the above variables  elicits a set of results that will best create the learning outcomes desired.  
USING SYSTEMS DYNAMICS TOOLS TO SIMULATE THINKING
The Stella Model of motivation correlates motivation and success  and failure considerations.  The  model considers level of satisfaction, expectancy levels, relevance, effort, and performance.  This model enables testing of current models.  The model can be repeated and used to measure the probability of failure, incentive values and can be visible through graphs.  In addition to this the Stella model can be used to compare models as well.

summaries of Chapter 1-4

In chapter 1 i learned about Cognitive Conflict.  It is one of my favorite explanations of psychological development when a person is forced to question long held beliefs.  There are many stages to how conceptual change:

1. Learner's experience/knowledge
2. introduction of new data or information
3. new data or info contradicts learner's experience or knowledge
4. awareness of a need for change 
5. Restructuring of info or knowledge
6. conceptual change occurs

The awareness of the need to change is probably the most difficult step for most people to deal with, and many even with the presence of this new data will still cling to old beliefs by neglecting or deny this new  information.

Theorist Striker and Posner regard conceptual change as a rational process in which theories are judged by “how successfully they solve their appropriate range of intellectual problems.”  According to their, theory, the intellectual problems of discrepancies in learners’ conceptions do not simply emerge from experience; rather, they also depend on the nature of the learners’ preconceptions and how those preconceptions impact data interpretation.  

Chapter 2

The primary purpose of modeling in the construction and revision of conceptual understandanding, that is, conceptual change. Explicit models of internal conceptual models engages in conceptual change, hence why it is encouraged to be used by Teachers.

Learning is best accomplished when students create their own models, not just use a model. Such as math formulas, if you give a student a formula they can find the correct answer, if you explain how the formula works, and what each variable means then students will have a better understanding as they were involved (slightly) in the creation of it by understanding the history and reason they are using said formula. This is an example of allowing the student to use their own imagination and creativity to engage in active learning. This is why it is better to construct your own models vs. use old ones.

How One Can Model Systems

System modeling enables students to explore the interactions between components within a system and develop an integrated view of the subject matter in relation to structural and causal relationships.

How Can One Model Problems

The key to solving any problem is to mentally construct a problem space by selecting and mapping certain relationships that are apparent within the problem. When models are used the mental problem space of the learner becomes external and more tangible.

Chapter 3

Chapter 1 argued that onceptual change is one of the most meaningful conceptions of learning. The models that students construct can and shoulld be used to assess student understanding.

The function of assessing self-regulation is not to present people with the information to critique those who have created/designed the model, but instead, to provide the learner with feedback concerning his/her development of learning and to better direct the learner in his/her learning. In order to use mind-tools, the learner must engage and promote self-regulation. In order to prolong and develop this process, the learner needs to be able to perform a self-assessment and identification concerning what he/she has learned and also be able to identify how to learn a particular skill or subject.

Assessing Collaboration: Mindtools are most effective when used collaboratively among students. Students who work together will create and learn more effectively than those who work solo. Mindtools will provide a reason for assessing the models that the students produce instead of evaluating students with a separate examination to ascertain knowledge.

Assessing Critical Thinking: Mindtools promote a student's critical thinking in which the result should be evaluated based on that content area. A student’s critical thinking technique is complicated to assess since it is based on context. The different subjects call for diverse critical thinking proficiencies. Developing a rubric based on these proficiencies will offer the best solution to assess the students while constructing models with mindtools.

Chapter 4

The assumption that the acquirement of domain knowledge is a prerequisite to procedural knowledge is being challenged. In other words, learning about how to do something before you actually do it is essential, or is it not? Theorists argue that acquiring knowledge without applying it in some authentic context is meaningless. No matter what theorists may claim, traditional settings demand that educators measure learning in terms of how much knowledge is acquired. Chapter 4 highlights several strategies that promote the acquisition of domain knowledge; these strategies are called mindtools: Databases, Concept Maps, Spreadsheets, Visualization Tools, and Hypermedia.

Modeling Domain Knowledge with Databases:

Databases are tools for analysis of content domains. Students analysis content via numerous information sources. Databases assist in aiding students’ ability to identify underlying themes relevant to the content being studied. When analyzing content domains, students experience at least two levels of analysis. First, the analytical process, occurs when students seek out and organize information in the database. The second level of analysis is reflective and relational. Students ask themselves questions pertaining to the database

Modeling Domain Knowledge with Concept Maps

A concept map is a type of graphic organizer that allows for relationships between different ideas or concepts, facts, or vocabulary to be linked in an organized, yet free-flowing fashion. Typically, concept are found written in circles, and relationships between are signified using arrows or lines. Such maps can be used at any time of the learning process - from brainstorming ideas to reviewing previously learned content. Jonassen argues that maps can be created in concert with exposure to new, interconnected pieces of domain knowledge, or factual knowledge. Today, multiple types of free computer software have become available allowing users to create easily-manipulated, interactive concept maps. 

Concept maps can be used as a replacement for traditional note taking and studying techniques. Because it is important for domain knowledge to be used in order to be remembered, concept mapping provides a facile means of allowing students to classify presented information in a way where they must actively engage in creating a system for organization and recall.

Modeling Domain Knowledge with Visualization Tools

Visual Tools are strategies that help learners understand the concepts of an investigation and illustrate information to convey meaning of a larger learning activity.  This is different than Mindtools which are used to produce a final model.   Jonassen (2006) says that he and many other learners are visual learners and agrees that a picture is worth a thousand words.  The visual tool that he uses to demonstrate his modeling domain is called One Sky, Many Voices, which was produced by a project titled Kids as Global Scientists.

Modeling Domain Knowledge with Hypermedia

Hypermedia is the coming together of multimedia and hypertext. Hypertext unlike normal every day text,which is read from beginning to end, left to right, top to bottom, has many different forms and outlets that are as numerous and expanding as the creators imagination. Hypertext is all about control, think of it as a buffet where one has the option to pick and chose which information to view and which not to. Now add water to this or in this case multimedia and you have a form of media that has many different representations i.e. text, graphics, sounds, video, games etc.

Modeling Domain Knowledge with spreadsheets

A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper, accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells that together make up a grid consisting of rows and columns, each cell containing alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas.

A formula defines how the content of that cell is to be calculated from the contents of any other cell each time any cell is updated. Spreadsheets are frequently used for financial information because of their ability to re-calculate the entire sheet automatically after a change to a single cell is made.

Creating a Jonassen base

the is stephen sluyter.  See personal reflection, its freakin awesome