[C4] London Mental Models Group

Aim: To discover new perspectives on the mental models of learners with regard to their use of technology as a tool for developing such models.

Reflection: The group provided me with a regular and powerful discourse to engage with in relation to the role of computers in learning and in particular analysing the nature of modelling and simulation software and its potential for learning.

Contribution: I participated and contributed ideas to seminars considering models of learning with technology. My part: 5% (Project led by the late Professor Joan Bliss)

Orginality, impact and importance: The work to integrate an educational approach to technology, learning, artificial intelligence and mental models was unique, recognised by an Economics and Social Research Council grant for the 'Tools for exploratory learning' project (Bliss & Ogborn 1989) and peer-reviewed publications. It had impact on the design of new modelling software and importance in raising the level of debate at an early stage in the maturation of technology in education amongst the educational research community in London.

The group's members were from King's College London, the Institute of Education, Imperial College London and Kingston Polytechnic and met monthly.

The common ground was Education, with specific focus on modelling cognition to inform more generally issues of learning and teaching in an information technology setting.