Speaker 9: Dietrich Albert
Saturday March 9, 12:40 - 13:40
Memory, Knowledge, and E-Learning
Dietrich Albert
(
University of Graz, Austria, and Hiroshima University, Japan)The aims of my contribution are to stimulate research in the psychology of memory and that of knowledge, as well as stimulating the future development of e-learning systems. Starting with a variety of existing e-learning systems, I focus on two examples (ALEKS and RATH), and their theoretical background which is Knowledge Space Theory (e.g. Doignon and Falmagne, 1999; Albert and Lukas, 1999). Within this theoretical framework the models and results of memory psychology (e.g. Albert & Stapf , 1996; Bjork & Bjork, 1996; Herrmann, 1996; Neath, 1998; Tulving & Craik, 2000) can be used for specifying the knowledge models and improving the e-learning systems substantially. For instance, by implementing multi attribute fluctuation models, learning and relearning may be guided for optimising fast learning as well as long retention. On the other hand, research on memory can profit from the methodology in knowledge- and e-learning- research: Knowledge Space Theory provides tools which can be used for validating models of memory empirically by taking answer pattern and individual differences into account. Web-based e-learning technology provides methods of data collection under fairly controlled conditions. Thus, the first time in the history of memory psychology it's models can be verified by controlled quasi experiments in an ecological setting. Finally, directions of future developments of research and development in memory, knowledge and e-learning are discussed.
References and Resources
Albert, D. & Lukas, J. (Eds.) (1999) Knowledge Spaces. Theories, Empirical Research, and Applications. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Albert, D. & Stapf, K.-H. (Hrg.) (1996) Gedächtnis (Enzyklopädie der Psychologie) [Memory. Encyclopedia of Psychology]. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Bjork, E. L. & Bjork, R. A. (Eds.) (1998) Memory (Handbook of Perception and Cognition). San Diego, California, London: Academic Press.
Doignon, J.-P. & Falmagne, J.-C. (1999) Knowledge Spaces. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer-Verlag.
Herrmann, D. J. (Ed.) (1996) Basic and Applied Memory Research:Vol.1 Theory in Context.Vol. 2 Practical Applications. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Neath, I. (1998) Human Memory. An Introduction to Research, Data, and Theory. Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Tulving, E. & Craik, F. I. M. (Eds.) (2000), The Oxford handbook of memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
ALEKS Corporation (2001) ALEKS A better state of Knowledge. [WWW adaptive tutor]
http://www.aleks.com/.RATH Relational Adaptive Tutoring Hypertext WWW-Environment. Version 0.11 Prototype. [WWW adaptive tutor]
http://wundt.uni-graz.at/rath.