11058 (v.4) Ed 663 - Representation and Learning

Area:	Department of Education
Credits:	25.0
Contact Hours:	3.0
Lecture:	1 x 3 Hours Weekly
Syllabus:	Different representational types used to present information to learners the design of external representations so that they can be processed appropriately by learners, the relationships between external and internal representations, the role of representations in human information processing.

Unit Outcomes:	On successful completion of this unit, students will have- Differentiated between external and internal representations. Distinguished between different types of external representations on the basis of their key characteristics. Discussed current theories of mental representation as they apply to knowledge acquisition. Explained the relationships that exist between external and internal representations in the context of learning and thinking. Described the interactive processes that occur between internal and external representations during learning. Evaluated the opportunities and challenges presented by the representations available via new educational technologies. Used theoretical principles to justify the selection of particular representations forspecific learning tasks. Critically commented on recent research literature dealing with issues relevant to using external representations. Analysed the external relationships used in existing learning materials to identify design weaknesses and predict consequences. Applied research on representation and learning to the practical design of instructional resources.
Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.
Unit References:	Larkin, J.H. and Simon, H.A. (1987), Why a diagram is (sometimes) worth ten thousand words. Cognitive science, 11, (pp. 65-99). Lesgold, A. (1998), Multiple representations and their implications for learning. In M. W. Van Someren, P. Reimann, H.P.A. Boshuizen and T. de Jong (eds.), Learning with multiple representations (pp-307-319). Amsterdam, Pergamon. Norman, D. A. (1988), Cognition in the head and in the world: an introduction to the special issue on situated action. Cognitive Science, 17, (pp. 1-6). Norman, D.A. (1988), The design of everyday things. New York, Basic Books. Schwartz, D.L. and Hegarty, M. (1996, March), Coordinating multiple representations for reasoning about mechanical devices. In P. Olivier (ed.) Cognitive and computationalmodels of spatial representation. Working notes, AAAI Spring Sympnosium. Tufte, E.R. (1990), Envisioning information. Cheshire, Graphics Press. Zhang, J. (1997), The nature of external representations in problem solving. Cognitive Science, 21, (pp.179-217).
Unit Texts:	No prescribed texts.

Unit Assessment Breakdown:	Assignment 1 40%, Assignment 2 60%. This is by grade/mark assessment.