DIFFERENT FORMS OF REPRESENTATION

Different forms of representation for design



Different forms of representation for design

Types of representation

Learning activities can be 'represented' in various ways; each representation will articulate particular aspects of the activity. Learning activities can be 'codified' into a number of different forms of representation, which each foreground different aspects of the learning activity and which provide a means of illustrating the inherent design. These can either be used for creation of learning activities (i.e. design) or as a means of representing the delivery of a learning activity (i.e. narrative). These forms of representation range from rich contextually located examples of good practice (case studies, guidelines, etc.) to more abstract forms of representation that distil out the 'essences' of good practice (models or patterns).

Figure 1: Representations and uses of learning activities

Figure 1 provides an illustration showing an learning activity at the centre, with examples of a number of different ways in which this learning activity can be described - i.e. forms of representation. These 'abstractions' (or forms of representation) of the learning activity can then be used as the basis for supporting the design process of creating a new learning activity or as a means of constructing a narrative that guides users through the process of using the learning activity. It is important to know what the representation is for. Is it to e.g.:

enable educational researchers to analyse and develop educational innovations;

enable teachers to plan lessons;

enable software designers to instantiate lesson designs in software;

help learners to understand their teaching and learning.

The type of representation would appear to be crucially dependent on it purpose.

Layers of representation

Although it is evident that any number of forms of representation might be possible this section differentiates between three different levels of representations that are particularly important and provides suggestions for examples of 'forms of representation' that might be used within each of these levels: an educational component (the pedagogical intention and aspiration), a technological component (what technologies will be used, how and their associated affordances) and a process-based/operational component, which describes the process or operational dimension provides the link between these. Therefore we suggest it is useful to think in terms of the following three levels (see also figure 2):

Educational view: The underlying pedagogical/inquiry model (may want to sub-represent this in a number of ways)

Objectives/outcomes/competences

Pedagogical model

Assessment

Constraints

Process-based/Operational view: Both the educational and technical (see below) perspectives require a representation of process. Technically we might need to represent process:

On different levels of granularity

curriculum style lesson plans

minute by minute orchestration of group collaboration

On different levels of formality:

Give appropriate prompts to learners while measuring temperature

IF t < 0 OR t > 40 THEN….ELSE

Existing languages available to specify a learning process have different emphases:

Stage-based: The key stages involved in the learning activity - i.e. a descriptive overview or account of the key stages or aspects involved. Control-flow style representations such as LAMS. The focus is on modules and their sequencing.

Schema: Outlining the sequential set of tasks and associated roles, resources, tools and ...