Human-information interaction: An emerging focus for educational cognitive tools

Educational cognitive tools are interactive, computer-based tools that augment one’s mind to facilitate learning. Examples of these include interactive mathematical software, interactive physics simulations, and interactive biology visualizations. While using these tools a learner’s mind becomes coupled with the tool, forming a cognitive system, such that cognitive processes are distributed across this system. The coupling of this system is strong, as the cognitive tool actively contributes to information-processing tasks by serving a representational function. By representing information at their interface, cognitive tools provide learners with access to information. Additionally, as cognitive tools are interactive, learners can perform actions upon the represented information. These actions serve an epistemic function and can be considered part of thought itself. Epistemic actions are basic actions that a learner may perform on any interactive cognitive tool and thus are technology-independent. Therefore, there is a need for designers and educators to focus on the ways in which learners use, interact with, and think with information, independent of the technology that is mediating the interaction. This chapter examines the dynamics of human-information interaction as an emerging area of interest, the implications for educational cognitive tools, and some of its emerging research efforts.