The Psychology of Digital Learning: Constructing, Exchanging, and Acquiring Knowledge with Digital Media

Stephan Schwan · Ulrike Cress

Apr 2017 · Springer

About this ebook

This book provides an overview of the state-of-the art of psychological research on learning and knowledge exchange with digital media, based on a comprehensive research program that was realized at the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien(IWM) during the last decade. The dramatic rise of new tools and technologies, including both hardware devices like smartphones, tablets, multitouch-tables, or stereoscopic screens as well as software environments like Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter or MOOCs – has fundamentally reshaped teaching, learning, and knowledge exchange. The authors describe an area of digital learning in light of these recent technological developments, specify the relevant theoretical approaches, summarize the main research results from the lab, and discuss their theoretical and practical implications.

About the author

Stephan Schwan is principal research scientist and university professor for research on teaching and learning. From 1989-1992 he worked as research associate at the Department of Psychology at the University of Tuebingen, Department of Cognitive and Biological Psychology. In 1993 he started working as a research associate at the German Institute of Research for Distance Education (DIFF), located at the University of Tuebingen, Department of Applied Cognitive Science, where he stayed until 1998. Since 2004 Stephan Schwan has been full professor for research on teaching and learning at the Knowledge Media Research Center Tuebingen. Together with his lab he works on perceptual and cognitive processes during the reception of three-dimensional and interactive visual presentations (cybermedia) as well as on user centered design.
Ulrike Cress is a full professor at the University of Tuebingen and deputy director of the Knowledge Media Research Center. In 2006 she got her venia legendi for psychology doing a work on the information-exchange dilemma. With her lab "knowledge construction" she is doing research on learning with new media in formal settings as well as in informal settings. She is interested in knowledge management, and in the development and implementation of media-based learning scenarios. In particular she works on the social and cognitive processes of people constructing new knowledge. Much of her research aims to further develop the Co-Evolution Model of Individual Learning and Collaborative Knowledge Building, which she presented in 2008.