Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext (Jonathan Kunz)

Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext

“Educators in the past pioneered the use of media as a way of accepting the challenge to improve methods of instruction, be they in the teaching of languages or content subjects” (Shih & Alessi, 1996).

Cognitive flexibility is “a powerful theoretical framework for designing hypermedia-based learning materials” (Borsook & Higgenbotham-Wheat, 1992).  Cognitive Flexibility theory is "specifically formulated to support the use of interactive technology (e.g., videodisc, hypertext). Its primary applications have been literary comprehension, history, biology and medicine" (Instructional Design, 2015).

Cognitive Flexibility allows students to (CBIRT, 2015):

• Interpret information in multiple ways
• Change approaches
• Select a new strategy if the first one isn’t working

7 Models of Cognitive Flexibility in Designing Hypertext:

• Cases and rich examples.
• Multiple forms of knowledge representation (via multiple perspectives).
• Linking of abstract concepts to case examples (explicit discussion of themes and concepts across cases).
• Demonstrate conceptual and thematic variability in ill-structured domains (criss crossing navigation of cases via themes).
• Interrelated and web-like nature of knowledge (variable thematic links across cases).
• Knowledge assembly from different conceptual/thematic and case sources (thematic linking across cases).
• Promote active learning (provisions for learner control of navigation paths).

Cognitive Flexibility Theory-Megan Perry

Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext (CFH) is a "hypermedia learning environment that allows 'multiple juxtapositions of instructional content' through a large and complex conceptual structure" (Spiro et al. p. 65 in Duffy & Jonassen).

Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext is part of the Constructivism family. Harasim mentions that "Constructivist theory posits that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through our experiences and reflecting on these experiences through the process of asking questions, exploring, engaging in dialogue with others and reassessing what we know" (2012, p. 60).  We are "creators and constructors of our own knowledge" (Harasim, 2012, p. 60). 

1. Learning activities must provide multiple representations of content.
2. Instructional materials should avoid oversimplifying the content domain and support context-dependent knowledge.
3. Instruction should be case-based and emphasize knowledge construction, not transmission of information.
4. Knowledge sources should be highly interconnected rather than compartmentalized.

Hypertext

• Concept originated in 1960s
• Ted Nelson
• Database Management System (DBMS)
• An idea of what technology (i.e., computers) could do with written word (Nelson, 1974)
• Precursor and inspiration of the World Wide Web (Harasim, 2012, p. 23)

Hypermedia

• Multimedia aspect of the hypertext system
• Typical Media: text, graphic, video, sounds

Related Theories: Constructivism & Genetic Epistomology

Bruner's Constructivism

"Bruner's theory on constructivism encompasses the idea of learning as an active process wherein those learning are able to form new ideas based on what their current knowledge is as well as their past knowledge" (Teachnology, 2012). 

1. Instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the student willing and able to learn (readiness).
2. Instruction must be structured so that it can be easily grasped by the student (spiral organization).
3. Instruction should be designed to facilitate extrapolation and or fill in the gaps (going beyond the information given). 

Piaget's Genetic Epistemology

"The study of the origins (genesis) of knowledge (epistemology), a study that involves cognitive developmental psychology and explains how humans develop cognitively from birth throughout life" (Jean-Piaget, 2015). 

Children acquire three kinds of knowledge (Jean-Piaget, 2015):

• Physical Knowledge (knowledge about their environment).
• Logical-Mathematical knowledge (the ability to think in an abstract, or problem solving way)
• Social-arbitrary knowledge (knowledge on how to interact appropriately with others, in order to fit in).

Four Stages of Cognitive Development (Jean-Piaget, 2015):

• Sensorimotor - Birth to age 2,
• Preoperational - Age 2 to age 7,
• Concrete Operational - Age 7 to age 11 &
• Formal Operational - Age 11 to Adulthood.

Example

Jonassen, Ambruso & Olesen provide an example where students are "presented with a variety of clinical cases which they must diagnose and treat using various sources of information available (including advice from experts), the learning environment presents multiple perspectives on the content, is complex and ill-defined, and emphasizes the construction of knowledge by the learner (1992).

Other Relevant Links:

Web-Based Learning Framework on Mapping Instructional Strategies to Web Features

Instructional Design Models And Theories: The Cognitive Flexibility Theory

Cognitive Flexibility Theory (Spiro, Feltovitch & Coulson)

References

Borsook, T.K. and Higginbotham-Wheat, N., (1992, February). A psychology of hypermedia: A conceptual framework for R & D. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Educational Communications Technology. Washington, DC.

Bruner's Theory on Constructivism. (2012). Retrieved October 11, 2015, from http://www.teachnology.com/currenttrends/constructivism/bruner/

Executive Function Strategies for Cognitive Flexibility. (2015). Retrieved October 10, 2015, from http://cbirt.org/tbi-education/executive-functions/executive-function-strategies-cognitive-flexibility/

Genetic Epistemology. (2015). Retrieved October 11, 2015, from https://jean-piaget.wikispaces.com/Genetic Epistemology

Harasim, L. (2012). Learning Theory and Online Technologies. Milton Park: Routledge.

Jonassen, D., Ambruso, D . & Olesen, J. (1992). Designing hypertext on transfusion medicine using cognitive flexibility theory. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 1(3), 309-322.

Nelson, Theodor H. (1974). _Dream Machines/Computer Lib_. Chicago: Nelson/Hugo's Book Service [republished 1987, Redmond, WA: Tempus]

Spiro, R. J., Feltovich, P. J., Jacobson, M. J., & Coulson, R. L. (1992). Cognitive flexibility,constructivism, and hypertext: Random access instruction for advanced knowledge acquisition in ill-structured domains. In T. M. Duffy & D. H. Jonassen (Eds.). Constructivism and the technology of instruction: A conversation. Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Shih, Y., & Alessi, S. (1996). Effects of text versus voice on learning in multimedia courseware. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 5(2), 203-218.