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Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
Ritter Annex 9th Floor
Temple University - CRHDE
Philadelphia, PA 19122
800-892-5550
215-204-5130 (fax)
General Inquires:
Laurence Peters
Judith Stull
Technical Assistance:
Barry Mansfield
Professional Development:
Joan Pasternak
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Temple University Center for Research
in Human Development and Education |
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The distributed cognition theory (Perkins, 1993) recognizes the positive role that each component plays in learning—that is, the role of instructional method, learner’s cognition, and media. Taking this view into a systems approach, the role of each component can be interpreted as interacting with and impacting on each other and, at the same time, as being part of one another. In a teaching–learning environment, the learner’s characteristics can impact the decision to select the instructional method and media, whereas the instructional method may affect the way that learners learn and how media are chosen. Finally, the media can alter the way in which instructors teach and change the way information is processed. By following a systems approach, instructors are able to
(a) understand the relationship between the components in the teaching–learning environment;
(b) identify the role of instructional methods, learner’s cognition, and media in a teaching–learning environment;
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(c) develop an instructional approach in which the teaching–learning process is operated upon the assumption of maximizing the characteristics of each component in the system; and
(d) pursue a constructive research agenda that addresses the cognitive, affective, and social aspects of learning (Kozma, 1994).
Conclusion
Educational technology can be depicted as a design science that requires a systems approach to analyze the various components in the teaching–learning environment. A systems approach reminds one to consider the relationship among the various components in teaching and learning, the people involved, the environment in which the components interact, and the systems that surround and include each component. By using this perspective, instructors can better examine the process, and by using the information gained from that careful examination, they can improve the design process. Teachers and administrators need to think not only about the individuals, resources, and methods as “isolated parts” but also about the ways in which human and nonhuman resources are related to each other. In particular, instructors need to consider how each person and all of the relevant resources can work together in support of student learning and achievement.
References
Clark, R. (1983). Reconsidering research on learning from media. Review of Educational Research, 53(4) , 445–59.
Kozma, R. (1994). Will media influence learning? Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research & Development, 42(2), 7–19.
Mayer, R. (1997). Multimedia learning: Are we asking the right questions? Educational Psychologist, 32(1), 1–19.
Mayer, R. & Anderson, R. (1991). Animations and narrations: An experimental test of a dual-coding hypothesis. Journal ofEducational Psychology, 83, 484–490.
Mayer, R., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 43–52.
Perkins, D. (1993). Person-plus: A distributed view of thinking and learning. In G. Salomon (Ed.), Distributed cognitions: Psychological and educational considerations. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Snow, R. (1998). Abilities as aptitudes and achievements in learning situations. In J.J. McArdle & R.W. Woodcock (Eds.), Human cognitive abilities in theory and practice (pp. 93–112). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Surry, D., & Ensminger, D. (2001, July). What’s wrong with media comparison studies? Educational Technology, 32–35.
Thompson, A., Simonson, M., & Hargrave, C. (1996). Educational technology: A review of the research (2 nd ed.). Washington, DC: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Zheng, R., & Smarkola, C. (2003). Multimedia environments for early readers. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 7(4), 229–232.
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