Mental Models Knowledge Objects

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Mental ModelsKnowledge Objects Instructional
Design

• M. David Merrill
• Utah State University

14 February 2002
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Overview

• How is knowledge represented in the mind?
• How can we represent knowledge to be learned?
• Why is knowledge analysis important for
  instructional design?

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Computer Program
Information
Process
Algorithm
Data

• A computer program is data plus an algorithm for
  manipulating that data.

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Mental Models
Declarative Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
Schema
Process

• A mental model is a schema plus a cognitive
  process.
• Cognitive processes are algorithms or heuristics
  for manipulating the information in a schema.

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Cardinal Principles of Instruction

• The Cognitive Structure Principle
• the development of mental models that are most
  consistent with the desired learned performance.
• The Elaboration Principle
• incremental elaboration of these mental models
  for increased generality and complexity
• The Learner Guidance Principle
• active cognitive processing
• The Practice Principle
• monitored learner performance with feedback
  (coaching).

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Mental models Instructional Design

• Provide a progression of whole task problems.
• Activate previously acquired mental models.
• Demonstrate the new knowledge related to existing
  knowledge.
• Guide the application of the new knowledge to a
  sequence of new problems.
• Promote transfer by integrating the new knowledge
  with other mental models, refining the mental
  model, and using the mental model in new
  situations.

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Instructional Design

• Two major activities
• Determine what to teach? Knowledge Analysis
• Determine how to teach? Strategy Analysis

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Instructional Prescriptions
IF Knowledge/Skill then Instructional Strategy
Science and design cannot proceed until we have
first selected the components of nature to which
we will attend.
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Instructional Components
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Components of a knowledge object
NAME
DESCRIPTION
PORTRAYAL
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Knowledge objects and instruction

• A knowledge object is uncoupled from the
  strategy objects used to present, practice, or
  test this knowledge.
• Present show name, description, portrayal.
• Practice show name, ask S to point to
  portrayal.
• Practice show portrayal, ask S to recall or
  recognize name.
• Practice show name, ask S to recognize
  description.

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Components of a knowledge object
Processes Events, triggered by an action or
another process, that change the property of an
entity.
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Information vs Portrayal

• Information
• General
• Inclusive
• Generality
• refers to many cases or situations

• Portrayal
• Specific
• Limited
• Instance
• refers to one case or a single situation

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Components of a knowledge object
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Knowledge Base

• A knowledge base is a set of knowledge object
  portrayals (examples, demonstrations, etc.) for a
  given content area.
• Each record in a knowledge base provides a
  specific portrayal for each of the components of
  the knowledge object.

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Knowledge object for a sentence
Name sentence Description a group of words
that expresses a complete thought.
Part subjectDescription tells whom or what
the sentence is about
Part predicateDescription tells something
about the subject.
Property purposeLegal values makes
statement, asks question, gives command,
expresses emotion
Property punctuationLegal values period,
question mark, exclamation point
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Knowledge base for sentence
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Learning Objects

• A learning object combines instructional strategy
  with the information and portrayals from a
  knowledge base.
• Learning Objects are small modules of
  instruction.
• Learning objects are usually defined as an
  objective, some instructional information, and
  assessment.

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Instructional Strategy Components
The primary strategy components are
TELL ASK INFORMATION
PRACTICE
PRESENTATION
SHOW DO PORTRAYAL

• An learning object is a combination of primary
  strategy components and knowledge components
  appropriate for, and consistent with, a given
  instructional goal.

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Learning Object -- PresentationParts of a
sentence.
Show part portrayal Tell part name Tell part
description
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Learning Object -- PracticeParts of a sentence.
Tell part name. Do-point to part portrayal.
In the following sentence drag to underline the
complete subject. Click mouse to begin.
Correct !
No, you have included part of the predicate.
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Learning Objects vs Knowledge Objects

• Learning objects are not the same as knowledge
  objects.
• Learning Objects are small modules of
  instruction.
• Knowledge objects are only the content to be
  taught.
• Learning objects are usually defined as an
  objective, some instructional information, and
  assessment.
• Knowledge objects include only the content to be
  learned but not an objective, presentation, or
  assessment.

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Learning Objects vs Knowledge Objects

• Learning Objects combine the knowledge to be
  learned with the strategy for presenting,
  practicing, or assessing this knowledge.
• Knowledge objects are uncoupled from the
  instructional or information strategies used to
  present them.
• Learning objects have a given instructional
  strategy built-in.
• A given knowledge object can be used for a
  variety of different instructional strategies.

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Knowledge Structure
Knowledge structure is the relationship among
knowledge components.
Gagné Learning Hierarchy

• Prerequisite relationship
• What should the learner already be able to do in
  order to acquire new knowledge?

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Process Entity Activity (PEAnet) structure
Whole tasks involve the interaction of all kinds
of knowledge entity, activity, process and
properties.
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A simple whole task.
Change toggle position. If position of light
switch is up then change position to down if
position of light switch is down then change
position to down.
Light lamp. If position of light switch is up and
burned out is false then change lighted of lamp
to on. If position of light switch is up and
burned out is true then change lighted of lamp to
off. If position of light switch is down then
change lighted of lamp to off.
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Knowledge Analysis for Design

• Whole task select web graphics
• Sub tasks select resolution, mode, format
• Components for each
• Kinds of resolution
• How to set resolution
• What happens to down-load speed at each resolution

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Knowledge analysis for Simulation
Simulation Engine

• Check conditions lighted off, -- burned out
  false
• Change property set lighted to on
• Display property portrayal

• Click on part light switch
• Trigger process toggle switch
• Check conditions toggle down
• Change property set toggle to up
• Display property portrayal
• Trigger next process light lamp

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Knowledge Analysis for Learning

• Indirect-direct instruction open
  learning-environments
• What is required for true self-instruction
• What is the whole task?
• What kinds do I have to know?
• What do I need to know how to do?
• What happens when I do a procedure?

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Mental Models and Knowledge Structures

• A mental model is a schema plus a cognitive
  process.
• A knowledge structure is a form of Schema.
• Using a knowledge structure to solve problems is
  a cognitive process.
• Knowledge structures (process, activity, entity
  relationships) form a generalized (meta) mental
  model.
• Specific mental models vs meta-mental models

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Summary

• Instruction is to promote mental models.
• Specifying the knowledge to teach is more
  important than strategy or delivery system.
• Knowledge can be specified via
• Media objects
• Knowledge objects
• Knowledge structures
• Knowledge bases (instantiated knowledge
  structures)
• Learning 0bjects (knowledge strategy)

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Summary

• Knowledge analysis facilitates
• Instructional Design
• Designing simulations
• Promoting learner self-instruction
• Knowledge structures provide meta-mental models
  thus facilitating learning.

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Visit us at the 14th Annual USU IT Institute
August 27 30, 2002 Utah State University
See our Web site at http//itinstitute.usu.edu
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Ask me a question?
For more information see my web
site www.id2.usu.edu