Reframing research on learning with technology: in search of the meaning of cognitive tools

Previous research and development with cognitive tools has been limited by an inadequate conceptualization of the complexity underlying their nature and affordances for supporting learning and performance. This paper provides a new perspective on cognitive tools through the lens of the theories of distributed cognition and expertise. The learner, tool, and activity form a joint learning system, and the expertise in the world should be reflected not only in the tool but also in the learning activity within which learners make use of the tool. This enhanced perspective is used to clarify the nature of cognitive tools and distinguish them from other types of computer tools used in learning contexts. We have classified cognitive tools considering how expertise is classified: domain-independent (general) cognitive tools, domain-generic cognitive tools, and domain-specific cognitive tools. The implications are presented in reference to research, development, and practice of cognitive tools. The capabilities of cognitive tools should be differentiated from those of the human, but regarded as part of the system of expertise. Cognitive tools should be accompanied by appropriate learning activities, and relevant learner performance should then be assessed in the context of tool use.     

Rethinking the Role of Information Technology-Based Research Tools in Students’ Development of Scientific Literacy

Given the central place IT-based research tools take in scientific research, the marginal role such tools currently play in science curricula is dissatisfying from the perspective of making students scientifically literate. To appropriately frame the role of IT-based research tools in science curricula, we propose a framework that is developed to understand the use of tools in human activity, namely cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). Accordingly, IT-based research tools constitute central moments of scientific research activity and neither can be seen apart from its objectives, nor can it be considered apart from the cultural-historical determined forms of activity (praxis) in which human subjects participate. Based on empirical data involving students participating in research activity, we point out how an appropriate account of IT-based research tools involves subjects’ use of tools with respect to the objectives of research activity and the contribution to the praxis of research. We propose to reconceptualize the role of IT-based research tools as contributing to scientific literacy if students apply these tools with respect to the objectives of the research activity and contribute to praxis of research by evaluating and modifying the application of these tools. We conclude this paper by sketching the educational implications of this reconceptualized role of IT-based research tools.     

政策工具视角下我国职业教育政策文本的内容分析——基于2002年以来我国的职业教育行政法规

政策工具是实现政策对象发展目标的必要手段,开展职业教育政策工具运用研究是理解与把握我国职业教育发展的有效途径。以职业教育行政法规为研究对象,从基本政策工具和职业教育发展两个维度构建二维分析框架,通过内容编码、工具归类以及统计分析等步骤分析我国职业教育政策。研究表明,我国职业教育政策工具运用表现出环境型政策工具占据主导而供给型政策工具与需求型政策工具相对不足的特征。同时,从职业教育发展维度看,政策工具差异化明显,较为突出职业教育体系建设和保障机制。在此基础上,提出政府在未来政策工具选取及其运用时应更加注重均衡与协调,注重政策工具与职业教育发展的融合,从而优化并完善职业教育政策的导向作用。     

学习工具发展的“风向标”——基于对2012年TOP100学习工具变化趋势分析

学习与绩效技术中心（C4LPT）是由英国社会性学习与协作领域的资深专家简·哈特创办,专注于新技术在学习中的应用效果研究。该中心自2007年发起了学习工具排名统计,在全球范围内对2000多种学习工具的效用进行前100位动态排名,这可以看做是学习工具最新发展的“风向标”。无论是传统的学习工具,还是不断涌现的满足各种个性化需求的应用工具,通常都是功能鲜明,操作规范简捷,以所见即所得的方式支持个人知识建构和社会性协作建构。总体而言,学习工具注重支持社会性学习和群体学习,更关注对个体学习的需要和过程的支持;注重网络中个人学习过程的知识管理及社会性知识共享;学习工具的功能更精、更专。对TOP100学习工具类型分布、排名变化和新入选工具的分析,有利于让国内教育界的实践者和研究者深入了解当前国际上广泛应用、各有专长、效用认同度高的学习工具,拓展对学习工具的理解,促进对新技术的教与学应用。     

钻削刀具及其工艺新进展

通过实物照片,介绍了几种新型钻削刀具及其实施工艺。包括采用一把钻头实现钻、扩非定尺寸加工及沉孔加工、深孔加工的多工序复合刀具,加工深孔和微小孔用的特种刀具等,并介绍了刀具涂层技术的新进展。这些新型刀具和工艺的应用对提高生产效率和质量,降低制造成本有着实际意义。     

政策工具视角下农民工职业教育与培训政策文本研究

以国家层面颁布的32份有关农民工职业教育与培训政策文本为研究对象,采用内容分析法,借助Nvivo质性分析软件,从政策工具和政策发展过程两个维度,探究我国农民工职业教育与培训实施过程中政策制定存在的问题。研究发现:农民工职业教育与培训政策随着发展过程、政策工具的使用逐步丰富和完善,政策工具使用呈现出显著的非均衡性。因此建议,降低环境型政策工具的使用,并合理优化其内部结构;适度增加供给型政策工具的使用,主要加强师资建设政策工具的使用;着力增加需求型政策工具的使用,充分发挥市场机制对农民工职业教育与培训的拉动作用。     

电子支付工具使用现状的实证分析

电子支付工具是信息社会必不可少的支付工具,多年来得到了迅速的应用。然而,普及电子支付工具仍然受到诸多因素的制约。对制约电子支付工具使用的研究,众多的学者几乎都是从定性的角度去讨论。文章通过调查电子支付工具的使用现状,利用灰色系统理论进行了定量分析,得到制约电子支付工具使用的主要因素,并提出了有意义的建议。     

电子支付工具使用现状的实证分析

电子支付工具是信息社会必不可少的支付工具,多年来得到了迅速的应用。然而,普及电子支付工具仍然受到诸多因素的制约。对制约电子支付工具使用的研究,众多的学者几乎都是从定性的角度去讨论。文章通过调查电子支付工具的使用现状,利用灰色系统理论进行了定量分析,得到制约电子支付工具使用的主要因素,并提出了有意义的建议。     

An analysis of cognitive tool use patterns in a hypermedia learning environment

In this study, we examined the use of cognitive tools provided in a problem-based hypermedia learning environment for sixth graders. Purposes were to understand how the built-in tools were used, and if tool use was associated with different problem-solving stages. Results showed that tools supporting cognitive processing and sharing cognitive load played a more central role early in the problem-solving process, whereas tools supporting cognitive activities that would be out of students' reach otherwise, and hypothesis generation and testing were used more in the later stages of problem-solving. The findings also indicated that students increasingly used multiple tools in the later stages of their problem-solving process. The various tools, performing different functions, appeared to enable students to coordinate multiple cognitive skills in a seamless way and, therefore, facilitated their information processing. Results also suggested that students with higher performance scores made more productive use of tools than students with lower performance scores. Findings of the study, are discussed.     

基于社会性软件的高校教师知识管理

社会性软件成为信息时代高校教师知识管理的重要工具,教师可以通过知识生成工具、知识挖掘工具、知识转移工具来扩展个人知识库,实现知识的在线交流与分享,最终实现知识的内化与创新.     

A methodology for integrating computer‐based learning tools in science curricula

This paper demonstrates a methodology for effectively integrating computer‐based learning tools in science teaching and learning. This methodology provides a means of systematic analysis to identify the capabilities of particular software tools and to formulate a series of competencies relevant to physical science that could be developed by means of these capabilities. This analysis could inform the transition to technology‐rich learning environments by helping to deflect reliance on computer‐based tools for objectives they cannot meet, while encouraging the design of activity sequences that make the most of the educationally useful capabilities of available computer‐based tools. This methodology is demonstrated by means of two software tools widely used in science learning, namely modelling and simulation tools.     

Competence and usage of Web 2.0 technologies by higher education faculty

Literature on Web 2.0 experiences of higher education faculty in developing countries such as Pakistan is very limited. An insight on awareness and practices of higher education faculty with these tools can be helpful to map strategies and plan of action for adopting latest technologies to support teaching–learning processes in higher education of such countries. This survey study was aimed to examine the competence and practices of higher education faculty in Pakistan with Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, Wikis, Google Docs, Skype, Flickr, YouTube, and social networks. The study was also focused to look for what type of role faculty play while using these tools; and to find whether any significant differences in terms of age, gender, or academic discipline exist in competence and usage of these tools by the faculty. The data were collected from a sample of 246 university teachers in the spring 2014 semester. The findings of the study indicated that faculty participants reported to use Web 2.0 social tools more frequently than instrumental tools. Similarly, their competence with social tools was higher than their competence with instrumental tools. Additional results indicated that their competence with Web2.0 tools significantly differed with respect to their age, gender, and academic disciplines.     

Some uneasy inquiries into ID expert systems

Alternative approaches to developing software automating instructional development are described in this article. Information management and expert system approaches are compared. General assumptions underlying the development of all authoring tools, including conventional authoring systems, and additional assumptions underlying the development of expert ID tools are identified. Questions are raised concerning the viability of ID automation tools. It is argued that conventional authoring systems may not be as inadequate or inferior as ID expert system developers have claimed, and that of two approaches to ID automation, tools emphasizing information management are probably most useful. Information management tools, however, still may be inappropriate in some contexts.     

《河南通志稿·农具》卷析

本文对《河南通志稿·农具》卷进行了考证与解析,揭示了前人所使用的农具门类,从中不难看出近代对农具的定义是对我国古代农具认识的继承和发展,并对各农具的重要功能作了科学的阐释。同时也指出该卷的局限性。     

课堂教学中传统教具与信息化教具的适用度探讨

文章分析了传统教具和现代信息化教具各自的优势,对专业课课堂教学中如何合理地使用信息化教具和传统教具、并将二者有机结合的问题进行探讨.     

新时期中美职业教育改革政策的共性分析及差异比较——基于政策工具的分析视角

作为职业教育现代化的基本手段,职业教育改革在优化人才资源支撑、服务经济社会发展方面发挥着重要作用。基于政策工具的视角,分别对新时期中美职业教育改革的顶层设计《国家职业教育改革实施方案》和《加强21世纪生涯与技术教育法案》进行文本量化统计,针对统计结果进行共性分析和差异比较,研究发现,在三重政策工具维度下中美职业教育改革政策运用存在诸多异同,即中美同时存在政策工具内部结构失调的共性问题,中国存在政策工具外部结构失衡的个性问题。具体建议是:调整创新政策工具总体布局、均衡配置环境型政策工具、优化调试供给型政策工具、着力增补需求型政策工具等。     

Tool time: Gender and students' use of tools,control, and authority

In this study, we examined how students used science equipment and tools in constructing knowledge during science instruction. Within a geographical metaphor, we focused on how students use tools when constructing new knowledge, how control of tools is actualized from pedagogical perspectives, how language and tool accessibility intersect, how gender intersects with tool use, and how competition for resources impacts access to tools. Sixteen targeted students from five elementary science classes were observed for 3 days of instruction. Results showed gender differences in students' use of exclusive language and commands, as well as in the ways students played and tinkered with tools. Girls tended to carefully follow the teacher's directions during the laboratory and did little playing or tinkering with science tools. Male students tended to use tools in inventive and exploratory ways. Results also showed that whether or not a student had access to his or her own materials became indicative of the type of verbal interactions that took place during the science investigation. Gender‐related patterns in how tools are shared, how dyads relate to the materials and each other, and how materials are used to build knowledge are described. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 760–783, 2000     

New aspect of technology adoption: a case study of students’ self-made English-learning video

Understanding how students perceive and adopt technology in their daily life is particularly relevant to today’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) environment, in which versatile ICT tools are becoming more and more pervasive, almost ubiquitous in our day-to-day activities. In the context of English as a foreign language, this study investigates how Chinese students produce an English video with over-the-counter technology tools for accomplishing a language-learning task. In particular, this study probes into how youngsters today respond to a given learning task, how and why they adopt technology tools available and of use to them for the task. Data collection is through observation, students’ reports, and interviews. The focus on specific case study settings offers a closer look at how the use of technology tools is socially and technologically shaped in each individual case. Students reported that they welcomed and valued such learning experience and had in general positive attitude toward the tools and their use in learning. The results reveal students’ willingness and capability in adopting technology tools, whether familiar or unfamiliar to them, and appropriating these tools to fulfill their individual leaning needs. Implications have been drawn to provide a new aspect of technology adoption in school learning.     

问题解决情境下认知工具的设计研究——以数学应用题为例

运用有效认知工具支持学生的问题解决过程逐渐成为当前研究的热点和趋势。针对目前问题解决过程中缺乏有效认知工具支持的现状,文章首先梳理了国内外对认知工具的相关研究,然后以数学应用题为例,总结了影响解题的一般因素,并针对影响因素提出可以辅助教师教学设计和学生学习的认知工具,旨在提高学生的问题解决能力。在此基础上,从问题解决的角度提出了相应认知工具的设计原则和系统模型。