Integrating Mental Models
This week I engaged in an incredible chat on mental models and would like to share the article, "Challenging Learning Journeys: Using Mental Model Theory to Inform how People Think," by Edwards-Leis (2012).
Wilson and Rutherford (1989) remind us that a "mental model (MM) is a representation of a domain, based on previous experience & current observations. Thus, MM’s reflects how knowledge is arranged, connected, or situated in our mind." They help us explain, predict, control action and thought, diagnose (in association with metacognition), and communicate.
Further, MM Theory informs instructors about thinking, explaining how we develop the dialogue necessary to guide thinking. MM are purposeful cognitive structures that have a process/product nature. The theory explains how we engage in the thinking process to assimilate memory, new data and personalized strategies to find solutions. When faced with a novel challenge, learners retrieve, restructure and/or create, and store useable MMs with their perceived relevance. MM Theory aligns well with the theoretical framework Information Processing (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1972), where learners process working (WM) to long term memory (LTM). An effective MM is stored in LTM, connected to other MMs and cognitive structures [schemes] (Piaget, 1970). Solving complex problems can be limited by WM because it cannot hold all the components to solve the problem (Merrill & Gilbert, 2008).
Frequently, students are expected to build upon concepts shared during the first half of the term. If they are attempting to maintain those concepts in their WM (memorizing facts), many will find it difficult to apply/analyze subsequent concepts. By helping students build MM early in the term, they are better equipped to integrate larger, more complex concepts for the end of the course assessments and beyond.
It is impossible to specify how instructors can help students build MM's in a blog post, however, a good start would be to create learning environments that expose pupils to rich problems to build upon skills, memories, strategies, and knowledge. Ideal methods for this include offering current, real-world examples, especially in contexts, which they originally appear and students can access often.
Edwards-Leis, C. (2012). Challenging learning journeys in the classroom: Using mental model theory to inform how pupils think when they are generating solutions, PATT 26 Conference; Technology Education in the 21st Century; Stockholm; Sweden; 26-30 June; 2012, 73, 153-162.
Other Mental Model Articles:
