Feature


mental models. However, schema are also important as these provide the data used by mental models. New knowledge is important – not for it’s own sake, but because by improving our schema we improve the information that’s available to our mental models.


Our schemas and mental models represent the sum of our prior knowledge – and understanding that is key when it comes to learning something new


learn more about the world, and particularly as e ece exerts n an secfic area The more we learn, the more complex our schemas become. They help us organise and interpret new information and experiences. They are like complex jigsaws – we are constantly adding new pieces to provide a bigger and better picture.


What is a mental model? A mental model is a representation in our brain of how something works, or how we think it works. Whereas schemas store frameworks of useful information, mental models allow us to put that information into action. Both work hand in hand when we have to do something. Returning to the house analogy, mental models provide a framework for action. If the heating has failed to work, what actns can e tae t fix the re Is it the boiler? Is there still power? Is my mental model good enough or do I need to call someone with a better one (ie the heating engineer)? Like schemas, we have numerous mental models, but the strongest and the most well developed are the ones we use


20 | learnevents.com


frequently. That heating engineer will get you warm again because he’s applied the fix faed er de a thsand tes Whatever your area of expertise,


whether heating systems, writing music, driving a bus or managing a project, your mental models for doing these things will be much more powerful and nuanced than those who don’t regularly do them. Practice perfects your mental models.


Schemas, mental models and learning Our schemas and mental models represent the sum of our prior knowledge, and understanding prior knowledge is key when learning something new. Most workplace learning focuses on skills, and skills depend on well-developed


Building better schemas and mental models It’s hard to know what’s inside another person’s head, but there are some things we can do to test how good people’s schemas and mental models are. We can explore learners’ existing knowledge by asking questions and testing how well new information or ideas can be connected to existing schemas. There are frequently areas where schema that should be strong actually turn out to be weak. If this is the case, then the learning can focus on these areas of weakness. Ultimately, we are looking for holes or gaps in understanding, or aiming to connect related schema, in order to improve the big picture. Likewise with mental models – how


effectively can someone think through or model a solution? Returning to the house analogy, the heating has failed: what are the possible causes? What can we do to nestate and then fix thns From this analysis, we can gain insights into what a learning intervention might need to address and then design accordingly. How effective that learning intervention will be on improving someone’s performance, will depend on how successfully it has updated their schema and associated mental models. n


John Curran is a director at Designed for Learning, an ex Chair at the Learning Network and has worked with a wide range of organisations on improving their approach to digital learning.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68