Showing posts with label Things That Make Us Smart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Things That Make Us Smart. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Book Reading #45 - Things That Make Us Smart
Reference:Things That Make Us Smart
Donald A. Norman
1993 Basic Books
Summary:
Ch. 3 - The unaided mind is a limited tool, but through the use of effective tools we are able to better represent things and ideas. Even the use of simple artifacts can lead to a much greater comprehension of a subject. A representational system has two parts to it. The represented world is that which is to be represented, while the representing world is a set of symbols that each represent something. Cognitive artifacts are powerful tools, but the best representation of the information depends on the task being performed.
Ch. 4 - Depending on how a task is represented, we often see tasks that are functionally identical as completely different. As this is the case, it is best to use appropriate representations for a task. If a graphical representation is used, it needs to convey an accurate description of the data. In the end, those who benefit from a technology should be the ones who use that technology to do work. Otherwise, the technology will likely fail.
Discussion:
Ch. 3 - I found this chaper interesting because I've never really thought about it in depth before. Many people say that one of the things they enjoy about books is that they are able to envision the characters and locations in whatever way they wish, but there is no denying that having a visual representation (via film or images) provides a much stronger impression. In using artifacts as tools I know that when grappling with a complex problem, it helps if I have an environment to manipulate.
Ch. 4 - The representation of tasks can be very helpful or detremental to someone. This reminded me of a scene from the movie "Stand and Deliver," where a student is struggling with a problem and the teacher demonstrates just how easy it is to solve.
Donald A. Norman
1993 Basic Books
Summary:
Ch. 3 - The unaided mind is a limited tool, but through the use of effective tools we are able to better represent things and ideas. Even the use of simple artifacts can lead to a much greater comprehension of a subject. A representational system has two parts to it. The represented world is that which is to be represented, while the representing world is a set of symbols that each represent something. Cognitive artifacts are powerful tools, but the best representation of the information depends on the task being performed.
Ch. 4 - Depending on how a task is represented, we often see tasks that are functionally identical as completely different. As this is the case, it is best to use appropriate representations for a task. If a graphical representation is used, it needs to convey an accurate description of the data. In the end, those who benefit from a technology should be the ones who use that technology to do work. Otherwise, the technology will likely fail.
Discussion:
Ch. 3 - I found this chaper interesting because I've never really thought about it in depth before. Many people say that one of the things they enjoy about books is that they are able to envision the characters and locations in whatever way they wish, but there is no denying that having a visual representation (via film or images) provides a much stronger impression. In using artifacts as tools I know that when grappling with a complex problem, it helps if I have an environment to manipulate.
Ch. 4 - The representation of tasks can be very helpful or detremental to someone. This reminded me of a scene from the movie "Stand and Deliver," where a student is struggling with a problem and the teacher demonstrates just how easy it is to solve.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Book Reading #43 - Things That Make Us Smart
Reference:
Things That Make Us Smart
Donald A. Norman
1993 Basic Books
Summary:
Ch. 1 - The human brain is capable of many things, but in the end it is limited. Fortunately, people have the ability to create new technologies that make us smarter and more able to accomplish greater things. Unfortunately, each new technology has unforseen effects on society, not always for the better. As it stands, peple are expected to conform and adapt to each new technology. Norman argues that it should be the technology that conforms to human nature.
Ch. 2 - Experiencial cognition occurs when environmental data leads to reactive actions. This is expert behavior done without conscious thought. Reflective cognition occurs when data is stored, compared, and analyzed to form new ideas and plans. Tools meant to aid these types of cognition ideally follow certain guidelines. Experiential tools should not require reflective analysis, and reflective tools should have as much information visible to the user as possible. To support these cognitions, there are three types of learning. Accretion is the accumulation of facts, tuning is the phase between behaving as a novice and behaving as an expert, and restructuring is forming the correct conceptual structure.
Discussion:
Ch. 1 - Norman has some good points, but there were times that I felt like I was reading another of design books. Technologies should be more accessible to the layman, but oftentimes products have only a limited number of ways that they can be presented, and they are not always intuitive.
Ch. 2 - While I felt this chapter got a bit wordy, it was worth it for the payoff at the end. I would love to see learning become a more engrossing, captivating activity, but I don't know how it could be implemented. How does one make a triple integral entertaining? How do you make the history of the Arthur administration mesmerizing? How do you make sure that people know the right things are the right time? I don't have an answer at this moment, but it is something to ponder.
Things That Make Us Smart
Donald A. Norman
1993 Basic Books
Summary:
Ch. 1 - The human brain is capable of many things, but in the end it is limited. Fortunately, people have the ability to create new technologies that make us smarter and more able to accomplish greater things. Unfortunately, each new technology has unforseen effects on society, not always for the better. As it stands, peple are expected to conform and adapt to each new technology. Norman argues that it should be the technology that conforms to human nature.
Ch. 2 - Experiencial cognition occurs when environmental data leads to reactive actions. This is expert behavior done without conscious thought. Reflective cognition occurs when data is stored, compared, and analyzed to form new ideas and plans. Tools meant to aid these types of cognition ideally follow certain guidelines. Experiential tools should not require reflective analysis, and reflective tools should have as much information visible to the user as possible. To support these cognitions, there are three types of learning. Accretion is the accumulation of facts, tuning is the phase between behaving as a novice and behaving as an expert, and restructuring is forming the correct conceptual structure.
Discussion:
Ch. 1 - Norman has some good points, but there were times that I felt like I was reading another of design books. Technologies should be more accessible to the layman, but oftentimes products have only a limited number of ways that they can be presented, and they are not always intuitive.
Ch. 2 - While I felt this chapter got a bit wordy, it was worth it for the payoff at the end. I would love to see learning become a more engrossing, captivating activity, but I don't know how it could be implemented. How does one make a triple integral entertaining? How do you make the history of the Arthur administration mesmerizing? How do you make sure that people know the right things are the right time? I don't have an answer at this moment, but it is something to ponder.
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