Cognitive Mechanisms of Learning

Conclusion: Methodology, Findings, Evolution

As we reach the end of this first volume in our series of four books on learning and cognitive technologies, we shall take the time to address a number of questions concerning methodology, the main findings concerning cognitive mechanisms of learning and our own opinions on future directions for research in cognitive psychology with regard to human learning.

C.1. Methodological questions

C.1.1. Domains of validity

It is always perilous to propose an overly general conclusion based on laboratory experiments dealing with a small number of gaming situations. In the conclusion to Chapter 6, on the role of prior knowledge, we indicated (section 6.4) that “Defined in [a] strict manner, the domain of validity of the research presented here is relatively narrow. However, it does enable us to reach a general conclusion: the way in which a problem is formulated plays an important role, as it always draws on the prior knowledge which the solver possesses”. Thus, the general conclusion of research serves to draw attention to one aspect of a learning situation. The research projects presented in sections 6.1 and 6.3 drew attention to the domain of knowledge used by solvers as a basis for constructing a representation of a problem¹. The notion of interaction is crucial here, as it permits increasingly precise definition of the domain of validity of any interpretation of experimental results. Highlighting the interactions between factors that ...