Assimilatory tools for informal learning: prospects in ICAI

Abstract

Overview. Based on the distinction in cognitive psychology between accommodation and assimilation (restructuring of cognitive structure vs incorporation within one's cognitive structure), an analytical distinction is made in ICAI between two general types of cognitive tools: power tools which augment cognition of a structural nature, and assimilatory tools geared to information acquisition. The distinc tion may have practical suggestive value in the design of ICAI applications, and theoretical value in the concrete form of the "learning task/control" hypothesis, whereby power tools involving strong tutorial intervention are more appropriate for accommodation learning tasks, and assimilatory tools are more appropriate for tasks involving assocdational learning, where greater learner control is desirable.