Using Cognitive Tools to Represent Problems

The premise of this paper is that the key to problem solving is adequately representing the problem to be solved. Most research has focused on how problems are (re)presented to learners. The assumption that those external representations naturally map onto learners’ internal representations of problems has not been confirmed. New research has examined the role of tools for externalizing learners’ internal representations. Descriptions of how three kinds of cognitive tools—semantic networks, expert systems, and systems modeling tools—can be used to externalize learner’s internal representations are provided. Research is needed to study the efficacy of these tools for supporting problem solving.