This book constiutes the reviewed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Cognitive Te... more This book constiutes the reviewed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Cognitive Technology, CT 2001, held in Warwick, UK in August 2001. The 36 revised full papers presented together with six invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. The book offers topical sections on: designing artefacts; cognition in robotic and virtual environments; presence in virtual environments; human activity and human computing; cognition in education and learning; narrative and story-telling; interfaces; cognitive dimensions; human work and communities; and the human-technology relationship. Contributors included: Andy Clark, Judith Donath, David Gooding, Steve Talbott, Martin Campbell-Kelly, Christopher Landauer and Kirstie Bellman.
The role of intuition in software development was discussed in a most original fashion by Peter N... more The role of intuition in software development was discussed in a most original fashion by Peter Naur in 1984. Yet there has been little subsequent interest in elaborating on Naur's ideas. In seeking to explain this neglect, we argue that the accepted views of software development, both within the formal and pragmatic traditions, are deeply influenced by a conceptual framework inherited from computer science and that, within this framework, making sense of the relation between intuition and software development is inherently difficult. In much more recent publications, Naur himself has related his thinking about software development to the philosophical outlook of William James. We discuss the current status and potential implications of Naur's original reflections on the role of intuition with reference to trends in thinking about software development since 1984, and to an alternative conceptual framework for computing, afforded by Empirical Modelling, that can be directly related to a Jamesian philosophical stance.
This paper elaborates on ideas presented in two papers [6,7] prepared in connection with the 11th... more This paper elaborates on ideas presented in two papers [6,7] prepared in connection with the 11th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems held in Crete in June 2012. The overall conference theme, as set out in the Call for Papers [27], was co-adaptation between technologies and human learning. To achieve co-adaptation in building an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), it is essential to reconcile machine and human perspectives on 'knowledge' and 'intelligence'. Following well-established principles of Empirical Modelling (EM), we propose to address this integration by using the computer to make construals: interactive environments in which human agents acting as model-builders can explore the observation, dependency and agency that underpins their understanding of the subject domain. EM principles are particularly relevant to domains such as medicine where reasoning draws both on scientific knowledge and on human experience and judgement that is ever evolving. This is illustrated with reference to a construal of malaria, currently under construction, that has the potential to bring together many perspectivesboth contemporary and historical-on this extensively studied disease. Our prototype exploits a web-enabled variant of EDEN-the principal EM toolwhich enables many agents to participate in the process of adaptation.
Conventional programming paradigms have limitations where support for constructionist learning is... more Conventional programming paradigms have limitations where support for constructionist learning is concerned. This paper illustrates the merits of an alternative approach to giving support for constructionist learning, based on the principles of Empirical Modelling (EM), with reference to an algorithm for determining whether a decomposition of a particular relational schema is lossless. Modelbuilding that is to be effective for constructionist learning has to support activities relating to three distinct roles: that of a student, a teacher and a developer. Our aim is to demonstrate that EM brings far greater conceptual unity to the interactions of the student, the teacher and the developer than is typically found in using a conventional approach to educational software development.
The dominant emphasis in current e-learning practice is instructionist in character. This is surp... more The dominant emphasis in current e-learning practice is instructionist in character. This is surprising when we consider that the benefits of constructionism as a learning paradigm are so widely recognised. Moreover, though the constructionist philosophy can be seen as applying to activities that are not necessarily computer-based (such as bricolage and concept mapping), its modern application in educational technology has been closely linked with computer use. In particular, Papert's work on mathematical education through LOGO programming has both informed the original concept of constructionism and been a major influence over subsequent computer-based constructionist developments. This chapter questions whether-despite these precedents-traditional computer programming paradigms are well-suited for the constructionist educational agenda. It argues that other approaches to computer model-building, such as those based on spreadsheet principles, are in fact much better aligned to the objectives of constructionism. Building on this basis, it proposes that more effective computer support for the constructionist perspective can potentially be offered by Empirical Modelling (EM). Adopting this approach demands a reappraisal of the relationship between the formal and the informal with relevance for education, mathematics and computing.
In his essay ‘Does consciousness exist?’ William James identifies a commonly held (mis)conception... more In his essay ‘Does consciousness exist?’ William James identifies a commonly held (mis)conception: that consciousness is ‘one element, moment, factor — call it what you like — of an experience of essentially dualistic inner constitution, from which, if you abstract the content, the consciousness will remain revealed to its own eye’. This chapter shows how James's thinking, in association with an alternative foundational approach to computing, provides the basis for a treatment of the theme of music and consciousness that can embrace many varieties of musical experience and interpretation without compromising integrity. The chapter draws on professional background in computer science to highlight parallels between composing or performing music and Empirical Modelling (EM) — a specific way of using computing technology to build artefacts that has been developed under his direction over the past twenty years. The musical illustrations and references discussed are drawn from the German classical and romantic traditions, which are most salient in his own experience as a pianist and accompanist, with a particular interest in chamber music and songs. But while this reflects his area of relative musical competence, it should not necessarily be taken as indicating that the ideas developed apply only to the narrow musical culture of Western score-based tonal music on which the chapter focuses.
The DoNaLD line-drawing system has been designed to illustrate how a generalised spreadsheet (or ... more The DoNaLD line-drawing system has been designed to illustrate how a generalised spreadsheet (or "definitive notation") can provide a simple medium for interactive graphics. Novel features of DoNaLD are: the use of variables based upon the recursive specification of a line-drawing as a union of points, lines and subdrawings, and a complementary user interface based upon windows of definitions.
Much research on pedagogy stresses the need for a broad perspective on learning. Such a perspecti... more Much research on pedagogy stresses the need for a broad perspective on learning. Such a perspective might take account (for instance) of the experience that informs knowledge and understanding [Tur91], the situation in which the learning activity takes place [Lav88], and the influence of multiple intelligences [Gar83]. Educational technology appears to hold great promise in this connection. Computer-related technologies such as new media, the internet, virtual reality and brain-mediated communication afford access to a range of learning resources that grows ever wider in its scope and supports ever more sophisticated interactions. Whether educational technology is fulfilling its potential in broadening the horizons for learning activity is more controversial. Though some see the successful development of radically new educational resources as merely a matter of time, investment and engineering, there are also many critics of the trends in computer-based learning who see little evidence of the greater degree of human engagement to which new technologies aspire [Tal95]. This paper reviews the potential application to educational technology of principles and tools for computer-based modelling that have been developed under the auspices of the Empirical Modelling (EM) project at Warwick [EMweb]. This theme was first addressed at length in a previous paper [Bey97], and is here revisited in the light of new practical developments in EM both in respect of tools and of modelbuilding that has been targetted at education at various levels. Our central thesis is that the problems of educational technology stem from the limitations of current conceptual frameworks and tool support for the essential cognitive model building activity, and that tackling these problems requires a radical shift in philosophical perspective on the nature and role of empirical knowledge that has significant practical implications.
Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing ... more Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing technology to the workplace that are hard to attain. The demands it makes upon the development and use of computing technology are particularly topical, as the potential for automation and distribution through embedded and mobile devices continues to develop. Standard views of computation propose ways in which to interpret all products of computing as programs, but give limited conceptual support for understanding computer-based design artefacts whose role in communication and elaboration eludes capture in a functional specification. This motivates our brief account of the alternative conceptual framework for computing afforded by Empirical Modelling, a body of principles and tools that can be applied to the development of a variety of computerbased artefacts relating to analysis, design and use that are most appropriately interpreted as construals rather than programs. The paper concludes by hinting at some of the ways in which developing construals using Empirical Modelling can assist distributed participatory design.
Abstract A modelling technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent interaction at a... more Abstract A modelling technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent interaction at a high level of abstraction is outlined. This exploits two complementary programming paradigms: agent-oriented and definition-based. The method is illustrated with reference to modelling and simulation of activity at a railway station
A protocol specification technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent activity and... more A protocol specification technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent activity and interation at a high level of abstraction is described. This expoits a concurrent programming technique based upon a synthesis of two new programming paradigms: "agent-oriented" and "definition-based" programming. Application of the method to modelling and simulating activity at a railway station is described. Its potential for concurrent systems software requirements specification is assessed.
Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing ... more Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing technology to the workplace that are hard to attain. The demands it makes upon the development and use of computing technology are particularly topical, as the potential for automation and distribution through embedded and mobile devices continues to develop. Standard views of computation propose ways in which to interpret all products of computing as programs, but give limited conceptual support for understanding computer-based design artifacts whose role in communication and elaboration eludes capture in a functional specification. Empirical Modelling is a body of principles and tools that can be applied to the development of a variety of computer-based artifacts relating to analysis, design and use that are most appropriately interpreted as construals rather than programs. This paper, a revised and extended version of Beynon and Chan (2006), illustrates some of the ways in which Empirical Modelling principles can be used in developing construals that can assist distributed participatory design. The theme adopted for illustrative purposes is that of understanding the quintessentially British game of cricket, renowned for the complexity and subtlety of its rules and its rich concepts and vocabulary.
The role that computing has come to play in the contemporary world motivates two topical concerns... more The role that computing has come to play in the contemporary world motivates two topical concerns: how to develop and educate the next generation of computing specialists, and how to help computing non-specialists to understand the broader significance of computing in human and social terms. In this short paper, we discuss how research into 'making construals' may contribute to achieving both of these goals.
A definitive (ie definition-based) programming paradigm for interactive graphics is investigated.... more A definitive (ie definition-based) programming paradigm for interactive graphics is investigated. Two contrasting examples of graphics notations for line-drawing applications based upon definitive principles are described. The advantages of using a definitive notation for interactive design, and as a medium for representing several kinds of abstraction are considered. Some relationships between definitive programming and other paradigms for graphical applications are identified, with a view to developing abstract models and formal methods for computer aided design.
The role that dependency can play in developing programs is a longstanding topic of interest. The... more The role that dependency can play in developing programs is a longstanding topic of interest. The idea that spreadsheet principles are the key to new more accessible ways of programming continues to be a focus for current research. This paper further elaborates an idea whose development has been documented in several previous PPIG meetings: that programming can be best understood by construing human and automated agency in observational terms. Its main focus is on illustrating and discussing a new concept: a with-construct that has been introduced in a recently developed environment for making such construals (the ‘MCE’). Preliminary work indicates that introducing this concept has a transformative impact both on the practice of making construals and its relationship to conventional programming.
2016 8th International Conference on Knowledge and Smart Technology (KST), 2016
Summary form only given. Applications of computing are traditionally conceived in terms of develo... more Summary form only given. Applications of computing are traditionally conceived in terms of developing programs for devices that reliably implement computational rules. This conception is ill-suited to understanding computing in relation to the broader context of agency in the social and natural world. The challenges this poses have long been evident in traditional software development but are even more acute in contemporary applications, where human and machine agency are being blended in quite unprecedented ways. Empirical Modelling is an approach to computing applications that gives greater priority to the human perspective on agency in the world. Its focus is on developing interactive artefacts (`construals') that enable us to make connections which are grounded in personal experience. This gives broader scope for addressing meaning that is better suited to engineering and constructivist perspectives than traditional approaches. This short talk reviews applications of Empirical Modelling to topics such as digital TV, timetabling and the development of open educational resources, identifies key areas of application for making construals that are being promoted under the auspices of the ongoing EU Erasmus+ CONSTRUIT! project, and highlights those features of Empirical Modelling that promise to deliver computing applications with innovative potential.
This book constiutes the reviewed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Cognitive Te... more This book constiutes the reviewed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Cognitive Technology, CT 2001, held in Warwick, UK in August 2001. The 36 revised full papers presented together with six invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. The book offers topical sections on: designing artefacts; cognition in robotic and virtual environments; presence in virtual environments; human activity and human computing; cognition in education and learning; narrative and story-telling; interfaces; cognitive dimensions; human work and communities; and the human-technology relationship. Contributors included: Andy Clark, Judith Donath, David Gooding, Steve Talbott, Martin Campbell-Kelly, Christopher Landauer and Kirstie Bellman.
The role of intuition in software development was discussed in a most original fashion by Peter N... more The role of intuition in software development was discussed in a most original fashion by Peter Naur in 1984. Yet there has been little subsequent interest in elaborating on Naur's ideas. In seeking to explain this neglect, we argue that the accepted views of software development, both within the formal and pragmatic traditions, are deeply influenced by a conceptual framework inherited from computer science and that, within this framework, making sense of the relation between intuition and software development is inherently difficult. In much more recent publications, Naur himself has related his thinking about software development to the philosophical outlook of William James. We discuss the current status and potential implications of Naur's original reflections on the role of intuition with reference to trends in thinking about software development since 1984, and to an alternative conceptual framework for computing, afforded by Empirical Modelling, that can be directly related to a Jamesian philosophical stance.
This paper elaborates on ideas presented in two papers [6,7] prepared in connection with the 11th... more This paper elaborates on ideas presented in two papers [6,7] prepared in connection with the 11th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems held in Crete in June 2012. The overall conference theme, as set out in the Call for Papers [27], was co-adaptation between technologies and human learning. To achieve co-adaptation in building an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), it is essential to reconcile machine and human perspectives on 'knowledge' and 'intelligence'. Following well-established principles of Empirical Modelling (EM), we propose to address this integration by using the computer to make construals: interactive environments in which human agents acting as model-builders can explore the observation, dependency and agency that underpins their understanding of the subject domain. EM principles are particularly relevant to domains such as medicine where reasoning draws both on scientific knowledge and on human experience and judgement that is ever evolving. This is illustrated with reference to a construal of malaria, currently under construction, that has the potential to bring together many perspectivesboth contemporary and historical-on this extensively studied disease. Our prototype exploits a web-enabled variant of EDEN-the principal EM toolwhich enables many agents to participate in the process of adaptation.
Conventional programming paradigms have limitations where support for constructionist learning is... more Conventional programming paradigms have limitations where support for constructionist learning is concerned. This paper illustrates the merits of an alternative approach to giving support for constructionist learning, based on the principles of Empirical Modelling (EM), with reference to an algorithm for determining whether a decomposition of a particular relational schema is lossless. Modelbuilding that is to be effective for constructionist learning has to support activities relating to three distinct roles: that of a student, a teacher and a developer. Our aim is to demonstrate that EM brings far greater conceptual unity to the interactions of the student, the teacher and the developer than is typically found in using a conventional approach to educational software development.
The dominant emphasis in current e-learning practice is instructionist in character. This is surp... more The dominant emphasis in current e-learning practice is instructionist in character. This is surprising when we consider that the benefits of constructionism as a learning paradigm are so widely recognised. Moreover, though the constructionist philosophy can be seen as applying to activities that are not necessarily computer-based (such as bricolage and concept mapping), its modern application in educational technology has been closely linked with computer use. In particular, Papert's work on mathematical education through LOGO programming has both informed the original concept of constructionism and been a major influence over subsequent computer-based constructionist developments. This chapter questions whether-despite these precedents-traditional computer programming paradigms are well-suited for the constructionist educational agenda. It argues that other approaches to computer model-building, such as those based on spreadsheet principles, are in fact much better aligned to the objectives of constructionism. Building on this basis, it proposes that more effective computer support for the constructionist perspective can potentially be offered by Empirical Modelling (EM). Adopting this approach demands a reappraisal of the relationship between the formal and the informal with relevance for education, mathematics and computing.
In his essay ‘Does consciousness exist?’ William James identifies a commonly held (mis)conception... more In his essay ‘Does consciousness exist?’ William James identifies a commonly held (mis)conception: that consciousness is ‘one element, moment, factor — call it what you like — of an experience of essentially dualistic inner constitution, from which, if you abstract the content, the consciousness will remain revealed to its own eye’. This chapter shows how James's thinking, in association with an alternative foundational approach to computing, provides the basis for a treatment of the theme of music and consciousness that can embrace many varieties of musical experience and interpretation without compromising integrity. The chapter draws on professional background in computer science to highlight parallels between composing or performing music and Empirical Modelling (EM) — a specific way of using computing technology to build artefacts that has been developed under his direction over the past twenty years. The musical illustrations and references discussed are drawn from the German classical and romantic traditions, which are most salient in his own experience as a pianist and accompanist, with a particular interest in chamber music and songs. But while this reflects his area of relative musical competence, it should not necessarily be taken as indicating that the ideas developed apply only to the narrow musical culture of Western score-based tonal music on which the chapter focuses.
The DoNaLD line-drawing system has been designed to illustrate how a generalised spreadsheet (or ... more The DoNaLD line-drawing system has been designed to illustrate how a generalised spreadsheet (or "definitive notation") can provide a simple medium for interactive graphics. Novel features of DoNaLD are: the use of variables based upon the recursive specification of a line-drawing as a union of points, lines and subdrawings, and a complementary user interface based upon windows of definitions.
Much research on pedagogy stresses the need for a broad perspective on learning. Such a perspecti... more Much research on pedagogy stresses the need for a broad perspective on learning. Such a perspective might take account (for instance) of the experience that informs knowledge and understanding [Tur91], the situation in which the learning activity takes place [Lav88], and the influence of multiple intelligences [Gar83]. Educational technology appears to hold great promise in this connection. Computer-related technologies such as new media, the internet, virtual reality and brain-mediated communication afford access to a range of learning resources that grows ever wider in its scope and supports ever more sophisticated interactions. Whether educational technology is fulfilling its potential in broadening the horizons for learning activity is more controversial. Though some see the successful development of radically new educational resources as merely a matter of time, investment and engineering, there are also many critics of the trends in computer-based learning who see little evidence of the greater degree of human engagement to which new technologies aspire [Tal95]. This paper reviews the potential application to educational technology of principles and tools for computer-based modelling that have been developed under the auspices of the Empirical Modelling (EM) project at Warwick [EMweb]. This theme was first addressed at length in a previous paper [Bey97], and is here revisited in the light of new practical developments in EM both in respect of tools and of modelbuilding that has been targetted at education at various levels. Our central thesis is that the problems of educational technology stem from the limitations of current conceptual frameworks and tool support for the essential cognitive model building activity, and that tackling these problems requires a radical shift in philosophical perspective on the nature and role of empirical knowledge that has significant practical implications.
Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing ... more Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing technology to the workplace that are hard to attain. The demands it makes upon the development and use of computing technology are particularly topical, as the potential for automation and distribution through embedded and mobile devices continues to develop. Standard views of computation propose ways in which to interpret all products of computing as programs, but give limited conceptual support for understanding computer-based design artefacts whose role in communication and elaboration eludes capture in a functional specification. This motivates our brief account of the alternative conceptual framework for computing afforded by Empirical Modelling, a body of principles and tools that can be applied to the development of a variety of computerbased artefacts relating to analysis, design and use that are most appropriately interpreted as construals rather than programs. The paper concludes by hinting at some of the ways in which developing construals using Empirical Modelling can assist distributed participatory design.
Abstract A modelling technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent interaction at a... more Abstract A modelling technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent interaction at a high level of abstraction is outlined. This exploits two complementary programming paradigms: agent-oriented and definition-based. The method is illustrated with reference to modelling and simulation of activity at a railway station
A protocol specification technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent activity and... more A protocol specification technique that relates concurrent system behaviour to agent activity and interation at a high level of abstraction is described. This expoits a concurrent programming technique based upon a synthesis of two new programming paradigms: "agent-oriented" and "definition-based" programming. Application of the method to modelling and simulating activity at a railway station is described. Its potential for concurrent systems software requirements specification is assessed.
Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing ... more Distributed participatory design aspires to standards of inclusivity and humanity in introducing technology to the workplace that are hard to attain. The demands it makes upon the development and use of computing technology are particularly topical, as the potential for automation and distribution through embedded and mobile devices continues to develop. Standard views of computation propose ways in which to interpret all products of computing as programs, but give limited conceptual support for understanding computer-based design artifacts whose role in communication and elaboration eludes capture in a functional specification. Empirical Modelling is a body of principles and tools that can be applied to the development of a variety of computer-based artifacts relating to analysis, design and use that are most appropriately interpreted as construals rather than programs. This paper, a revised and extended version of Beynon and Chan (2006), illustrates some of the ways in which Empirical Modelling principles can be used in developing construals that can assist distributed participatory design. The theme adopted for illustrative purposes is that of understanding the quintessentially British game of cricket, renowned for the complexity and subtlety of its rules and its rich concepts and vocabulary.
The role that computing has come to play in the contemporary world motivates two topical concerns... more The role that computing has come to play in the contemporary world motivates two topical concerns: how to develop and educate the next generation of computing specialists, and how to help computing non-specialists to understand the broader significance of computing in human and social terms. In this short paper, we discuss how research into 'making construals' may contribute to achieving both of these goals.
A definitive (ie definition-based) programming paradigm for interactive graphics is investigated.... more A definitive (ie definition-based) programming paradigm for interactive graphics is investigated. Two contrasting examples of graphics notations for line-drawing applications based upon definitive principles are described. The advantages of using a definitive notation for interactive design, and as a medium for representing several kinds of abstraction are considered. Some relationships between definitive programming and other paradigms for graphical applications are identified, with a view to developing abstract models and formal methods for computer aided design.
The role that dependency can play in developing programs is a longstanding topic of interest. The... more The role that dependency can play in developing programs is a longstanding topic of interest. The idea that spreadsheet principles are the key to new more accessible ways of programming continues to be a focus for current research. This paper further elaborates an idea whose development has been documented in several previous PPIG meetings: that programming can be best understood by construing human and automated agency in observational terms. Its main focus is on illustrating and discussing a new concept: a with-construct that has been introduced in a recently developed environment for making such construals (the ‘MCE’). Preliminary work indicates that introducing this concept has a transformative impact both on the practice of making construals and its relationship to conventional programming.
2016 8th International Conference on Knowledge and Smart Technology (KST), 2016
Summary form only given. Applications of computing are traditionally conceived in terms of develo... more Summary form only given. Applications of computing are traditionally conceived in terms of developing programs for devices that reliably implement computational rules. This conception is ill-suited to understanding computing in relation to the broader context of agency in the social and natural world. The challenges this poses have long been evident in traditional software development but are even more acute in contemporary applications, where human and machine agency are being blended in quite unprecedented ways. Empirical Modelling is an approach to computing applications that gives greater priority to the human perspective on agency in the world. Its focus is on developing interactive artefacts (`construals') that enable us to make connections which are grounded in personal experience. This gives broader scope for addressing meaning that is better suited to engineering and constructivist perspectives than traditional approaches. This short talk reviews applications of Empirical Modelling to topics such as digital TV, timetabling and the development of open educational resources, identifies key areas of application for making construals that are being promoted under the auspices of the ongoing EU Erasmus+ CONSTRUIT! project, and highlights those features of Empirical Modelling that promise to deliver computing applications with innovative potential.
Achieving co-adaptation in building an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) involves integrating mac... more Achieving co-adaptation in building an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) involves integrating machine and human perspectives on 'knowledge' and 'intelligence'. We address this integration by using Empirical Modelling (EM) principles to make construals: interactive environments in which human agents acting as model-builders can explore the observation, dependency and agency that underpins their understanding of the subject domain. This approach is wellsuited to domains such as medicine where reasoning draws both on scientific knowledge and evolving human experience and judgement. We illustrate this by developing construals of malaria using a web-based variant of the principal EM tool that enables many agents to participate in the process of adaptation.
"A construal is a physical object that supports sense-making through exploratory interaction and... more "A construal is a physical object that supports sense-making through exploratory interaction and interpretation. This notion was elaborated by the historian and philosopher of science David Gooding in his account of Faraday's experimental methods. The advent of computing technology has liberated the making of construals, but construal-by-computer is not well-served by the focus in computer science on principles and tools for developing programs.
In this talk, I shall present a prototype environment for creating construals by computer that exploits model-building with dependency such as is represented in spreadsheets and dynamic geometry environments. Our construals are made up of definitions that express dependencies between observables. As will be illustrated with reference to construing human solving of Sudoku puzzles, many kinds of human agency can be expressed through modifying the current set of definitions. The construal serves as a shared artefact with which developers, teachers and pupils can all interact concurrently in essentially the same way, each according to their role and experience. Preliminary experiments with schoolchildren highlight potential for rich and radically new kinds of learning experience and unprecedented scope for recording, monitoring and intervening in support of constructionist learning.
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In this talk, I shall present a prototype environment for creating construals by computer that exploits model-building with dependency such as is represented in spreadsheets and dynamic geometry environments. Our construals are made up of definitions that express dependencies between observables. As will be illustrated with reference to construing human solving of Sudoku puzzles, many kinds of human agency can be expressed through modifying the current set of definitions. The construal serves as a shared artefact with which developers, teachers and pupils can all interact concurrently in essentially the same way, each according to their role and experience. Preliminary experiments with schoolchildren highlight potential for rich and radically new kinds of learning experience and unprecedented scope for recording, monitoring and intervening in support of constructionist learning.
Background sources
David Gooding, Experiment and the Making of Meaning, 1990
The Empirical Modelling website: http://www.dcs.warwick.ac.uk/modelling/
EM publications on educational themes: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/dcs/research/em/applications/educationaltech/
Workshops relating to a Sudoku solving construal: http://www.dcs.warwick.ac.uk/~wmb/sudokuExperience/workshops/"
A video of this talk is available at http://portal.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/Seminars/Lists/Events/DispForm.aspx?ID=156