Hand-Held Cognition: Does Learning Suffer When an External Representation Interface Style is Used?

Abstract

Previous research has shown that external representation of information facilitates cognitive processing by requiring less recall and reducing the need for working memory. The assumption is that all task types are better performed with an external representations interface style. Research conducted in 2004 with a personal computer found that for planning, understanding and knowledge tasks, external representations did not significantly improve task performance and that declarative knowledge was better aided by internal representation. This study hypothesized that declarative knowledge would be significantly enhanced for people who used a hand-held device coupled with an internal representation interface style. This study had 21 participants (external N = 9, internal N = 12) who completed all four sessions. The result was that there was not a significant difference between means as pertains to declarative knowledge. However, the procedural knowledge results found that the mean difference was 0.5 or greater on three of the four sessions in favor of the internal representation interface style. When the moves were examined, the external representation interface style was mostly associated with significantly better performance in certain trials in early sessions, but in later sessions the difference was not significant.