Using Media for Developing Mental Models and Anchoring Instruction

Special ISSUE Using Media for Developing Mental Models and Anchoring Instruction Ted S. Hasselbring The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt—John Bransford, Laura Goin, Susan Goldman, Jim Pellegrino, Diana Sharp, and Nancy Vye— contributed to this article. ecent developments in computing and communication technology make it possible to link text, video, audio, and interactive computer programs in ways that were not possible only a few years ago. I refer to these multiple forms of linked media as integrated media (IM) rather than as multimedia (MM), preferring the term IM because it reminds us that our goal is to integrate media in ways that facilitate learning, and not simply to multiply the number of media available to learners. As will be noted again later, the availability of additional media perse does not guarantee more effective learning. In this presentation, I will discuss two general approaches to the design and study of IM applications, and relate each of these to current theories of learning and thinking. The first and more common approach is what I call the curricular embellishment approach . This approach involves beginning with an existing curriculum (or a part thereof) and embellishing it through IM applications. The second approach uses IM to break the mold of existing curricula and fundamentally alters the relationship among teacher, learner, and the tools for teaching and learning. For example, the application of this approach can encourage students to • explore environments and generate issues and questions to be researched further; • produce knowledge rather than merely receive it passively; and • teach others rather than invariably wait to be taught by someone else. Curricular Embellishment Approach Instructional opportunities can be enhanced by using IM to embellish a subset of an existing curriculum in some manner. This approach quickly makes it apparent that IM offers exciting possibilities for improving learning. This presentation explores new learning possibilities by discussing IM applications whose value is readily apparent—especially for providing the kinds of support that help teachers adaptively respond to a variety of individual differences in learning strategies and background knowledge. We then American Annals of the Deaf consider how these applications might be improved even further as theories of learning and thinking are explored in detail. Visual Support for Comprehension An important area in which learning theory becomes relevant to IM development involves listening comprehension. However, whereas tasks requiring listening are appropriate for many hearing -impaired students, for others they are not. In this presentation, I will focus on visual support for comprehension. One process for effective reading comprehension consists of creating mental models of situations described in a story (Johnson-Laird, 1983; van Dijk & Kintsch, 1983). An example. Imagine that children are presented with a simple story involving a thirsty bird who is unable to drink from a glass of water because its beak is not long enough. The bird suddenly has an insight and begins to put pebbles into the glass. When the water level is high enough, the bird is able to get the water in the glass. To understand this part of the story, children need to understand conceptually that pebbles raise the water level in the glass. We have worked with a number of young children who seem to have great difficulty imagining situations such as this unless they are given dynamic, visual support (Sharp, Bransford, Vye, & Goldman, in preparation). Theories of comprehension and mental model-building have been reviewed elsewhere, so I will not elaborate on them here (Glenberg, Meyer, & Lindem, 1987; Johnson-Laird, 1983 McNamara, Miller, & Bransford, 1991 Morrow, Greenspan, & Bower, 1987 van Dijk & Kintsch, 1983). Although mental model theorists' perspectives differ somewhat, for our present purposes the important point is that an emphasis on mental-model construction provides a framework for thinking about ways to design IM applications that provide comprehension support. How Illustrations Help One example of information that can support mental-model construction is the use of visual illustrations. Computer -enhanced texts such as Discis books (Discis, 1990) have purposely used the original illustrations of the stories that they computerize; hence, their choice of which illustrations to use is straightforward. However, pictures vary in their effectiveness and many pictures found in books do not support comprehension. Decorative pictures. Research...