External representations for learning: Headed towards a digital culture

Abstract

This chapter provides the state of the art on learning with external digital representations and elaborates on some landmarks for understanding the design and use of emergent learning technologies. We start by identifying a pervasive underlying distinction into dyadic and triadic views of representation which triggers the question of the role of culture and context in the study of the construction and the interpretation of digital representations. Three issues are discussed in more depth: learning with a multiplicity of digital representations, adjusting the representational density of digital representations and externalizing symbolic processing to the computer. Based on these issues, we conjecture that the future of digital learning might require bringing together a variety of spheres of representational practice, namely those of domain experts, teachers and learners, as well as those of researchers and developers in the field of learning technologies. © 2009 Springer Netherlands.