Samenvatting NAP: How people learn (chapter 8)

How people learn – Chapter 8: digital technology
Learning technology is most useful when it is designed to meet specific needs
and contexts

Technologies may be used to:
 Incorporate real-world problem solving into classroom curricula
 Scaffold students’ learning
 Provide students and teachers with more opportunities for feedback,
reflection and revision
 Build local and global communities of individuals who are invested and
interested in learning
 Expand opportunities for teachers’ learning


1. Aligning technologies with learning goals
Use of term ‘affordances’ to refer to opportunities that a technology makes
possible related to learning and instruction

1.1 Affordances of learning technologies

Affordance = feature or property of an object that makes possible a particular
way of relating to the object for the person who uses it (e.g., doorknob affords its
users a way to twist and push)

Key affordances of learning technologies, that support learning at deeper levels:
 Interactivity = technology systematically responds to actions of the
learner
 Adaptivity = technology presents information that is contingent on the
behavior, knowledge and characteristics of the learner
 Feedback = technology gives feedback to the learner on the quality of
the learner’s performance, sometimes including how the quality could be
improved
 Choice = technology gives students options for what to learn and how to
learn so they can regulate their own learning
 Nonlinear access = technology allows the learner to select or receive
learning activities in an order that deviates from a set order
 Linked representations = technology provides quick connections
between representations for a topic that emphasize different conceptual
viewpoints, pedagogical strategies and media. This supports cognitive
flexibility and encoding variability to support learning
 Open-ended learner input = technology allows learners to express
themselves through natural language, drawing pictures and other forms of
open-ended communication
 Communication with other people = learner communicates with one or
more other persons, who may range from peers to subject-matter experts

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, 1.2 Learning through repetition

Learning that require practice and repetition is most lasting when it takes place
in a variety of contexts and on a schedule that is distributed over time
Affordances that are helpful for supporting these types of learning:
 Interactivity
 Feedback

Computer-based instruction (= computer-assisted instruction) also provides
interactivity and feedback

Disadvantage to this type of computer-based instruction: learners may lose
motivation when using a repetitive format. Ways to fix this:
 Add the affordance of adaptivity
 Gamify the learning by adding expanded feedback and communication
with other people
 Allow learners to select topics that interest them

1.3 Deeper learning with models

Deeper learning involves understanding complex concepts and systems (e.g.,
ability to integrate information from multiple documents and experiences)

It is needed for:
 Complex problem solving
 Reasoning
 Inferential thinking
 Transfer of knowledge to new situations

Affordances that are important for this type of learning:
 Linked representations
 Open-ended learner input (also important for conceptual learning with
system models)
 Interactivity (of traditional computer-based training)
 Feedback (of traditional computer-based training)
 Adaptivity (of traditional computer-based training)

Intelligent technology / intelligent tutoring systems:
 Can allow a learner quick access to perspectives, which will allow the
learner to link the elements
 Can support deep learning with models
 Have been widely used and have produced impressive learning gains in
the areas of digital literacy and information technology
 Have shown promise in domains that have strong verbal demands

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