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Connection, Translation, Off-Loading, and Monitoring: A Framework for Characterizing the Pedagogical Functions of Educational Technologies

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Abstract

Distributed cognition offers powerful tools for conceptualizing the role that technology plays in learning environments, yet it can be challenging to apply. This paper presents an analytical framework that focuses on four pedagogical functions that technology can perform in learning environments: connection, translation, off-loading, and monitoring. The framework is drawn from theories of distributed cognition and, in particular, the idea that learning is increased coordination between two cognitive systems. Each pedagogical function is first explicated individually, along with examples. The framework is then applied to several cases, including three technology development and research cases drawn from the literature. The paper concludes with a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the framework for use in research and design.

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Notes

  1. Although the focus here is on pedagogical functions, the same functions could certainly be used in service of non-pedagogical goals.

  2. The choice of labels is always somewhat arbitrary, and alternative labels, such as access or contact, could also be appropriate here.

  3. Assessment would also be a reasonable label for this function. The choice of the term monitoring is inspired by its use in research on tutoring (e.g., Chi et al. 2004).

  4. In each case, by “system of rules,” I mean the rules as coded into the software, rather than ahistorical mathematical or scientific truths. Although the rules are in fact embedded within the larger software system, separating them analytically makes it easier to employ the metaphor of coordination.

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  1. School of Education, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Lee Martin

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Martin, L. Connection, Translation, Off-Loading, and Monitoring: A Framework for Characterizing the Pedagogical Functions of Educational Technologies. Tech Know Learn 17, 87–107 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-012-9193-6

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