Benefits and Constraints of Distributed Cognition in Foreign Language Learning

This paper uses the framework of distributed cognition to discuss benefits and constraints of technology adoption and use in social-constructive language learning scenarios. The purposes of this paper are (a) to describe how the open-ended knowledge construction and communication tools TEE (The Electronic Exercise) and EF-editor (Exercise Format Editor) can serve social-constructive language learning from a distributed cognition point of view, (b) to report how TEE and EF-editor have been used in a foreign language classroom with 25 seventh grade students for creating a Web-based tourist guide to London, and (c) to present the results of an evaluative study investigating the benefits and constraints the teacher and students experienced through this learning scenario. Finally, these results are discussed with regard to the heuristic value of distributed cognition for technology-enhanced social-constructive learning-scenarios.