Cognitive Spreadsheet learning

Is sorting candy and graphing on Excel a good use of technology as a "cognitive tool"?

Well, probably not. Even though the "handout" given for this activity specified some higher levels of thinking in trying to place additional data into the correct place and then interpret the resulting graph, it was not really the best use overall of engagement with technology.

To learn "with" technology we should be using the computer's capabilities of data processing to help enhance our own thinking abilities in completing a lesson or assignment.

So, how to fix this? Well, the overall assignment needs to be focused more on using a spreadsheet to not only interpret results, but also to make predictions and place these predictions in the context of a larger meaningful construct. Using Excel to organize the data and to make the graphs is good, however it would be better to leave the TYPE of graph used to best illustrate the trends in the colors of M and M's up to the learners and have them JUSTIFY their choices based on the current data. To move up into higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy, we should encourage application, analysis, evaluation, synthesis and creativity. In this way, the "handout" has in some cases TOO many specific instructions and in other ways NOT ENOUGH open-ended or "Understand" type of questions to focus the learning on guiding principles.

Our recent reading on cognitive process and technology use seems to support using both the computer capabilities and the learner's capabilities in tandem to synthesize something greater that would not be possible without both fully engaged to their best capabilities.

So, to improve this activity, we may want to first convey a larger and meaningful context--for example, should the candy factory keep the current proportion of colors/flavors given the popularity of a certain mix or cost of production of a certain color/flavor? Providing some information on popularity of various candy types/colors/flavors or some information on the cost or variation in the costs would provide some meaningful context to the whole exercise. The learner could use this information at his/her own discretion when constructing the graph and decide what will have the most impact on his/her project.

Second, we may be asked to argue a case for elimination or addition of a color/flavor based on our research findings. Thus, each group must not only collect the data, but also decide what data to include or exclude, how to display the data, and how to explain what it means in order to convince his/her peers of a particular decision or point of view. Again, this focus will provide more cognitive impetus for learners to want to think about each of their decisions rather than following a "recipe" on a paper.

Third, and perhaps most important, the class could analyze each groups recommendation and then make suggestions about whether to approve it or not. In essence, the data collection and graphing would be used in such a way to invoke higher cognitive processing in the learner by reducing the time necessary to produce a changing graphical picture with new data or a new focus. Evaluation of others work may elicit a rubric to determine whether the candy should be changed based on each group's presentation.

Finally, students may be asked to create their own type of candy and construct a graph to show the distribution of variations of candy within a package based on their own set of criteria--cost, color, availability of ingredients, etc. By indicating that this will be the "final product" of the entire exercise at the beginning, students may be more motivated to learn the details in order to apply them to their own candy creations in the future.

Further note: Spreadsheets are a remarkably useful tool in analysis of data and graphical displays especially in the sciences (my field), however they are not a panacea. They are a time-saver and sometimes an error-finder for complex data sets. They can quickly display patterns, trends, and help to make predictions, but the research question or proposed idea is where the cognitive processing occurs. Without context and meaning to the data, they are just well-arranged numbers, colored bars/lines, or pictures. The context and relationships they illustrate for the user make them powerful and real.