Most learning on a computer takes place by having students press keys to continue the program or responding to questions that the program generates. According to Jonassen, Carr, and Yueh, learning by pressing keys takes control of the learning process away from the learner. This article discusses using computers as mindtools so that students can engage themselves in the learning process, thus promoting critical thinking. Mindtools are any computer application that requires students to think critically about what they are learning. The computer application may or may not have been created with critical thinking in mind. Those computer applications that do not require critical thinking skills can be repurposed so that critical thinking is utilized.

There are different forms of mindtools. Semantic organization mindtools allow students to analyze and organize information. Databases and concept mapping tools are examples that use semantic organization. Databases allow students to construct representations among various criteria in the form of data structures. When creating concept maps, students are required to describe relationships between elements and how the elements relate to all of the ideas in the concept map. Dynamic modeling mindtools allow students to describe relationships among ideas, and these ideas are dependent upon each other. If one idea is changed, one or more ideas will change as a result. Examples of dynamic modeling tools are spreadsheets, expert systems, and microworlds. When students are required to develop spreadsheets, they make the rules and think about the results of their actions. Expert systems help with the decision making process by acting as a support. By creating expert systems, students have to think about causal relationships, and they enhance their domain knowledge. Microworlds are simulated environments where the student becomes the source of problem solving. The environment responds to the decisions of the student. Information interpretation mindtools allow students to define and understand concepts. One type of information interpretation tools is a visualization tool. Visualization tools allow students to create images of what they are learning, so that abstract concepts become real for students. Knowledge construction mindtools, such as hypermedia, allow students to design objects of knowledge bases, and in the process, students learn more about the subject than they would by studying it. Conversation mindtools allow students to converse with their peers and with experts to get information and solve problems in groups. Conversation mindtools help students improve their communication skills. Some examples are e-mail, bulletin boards, and computer conferences.

Jonassen, Carr, and Yueh provide several reasons why educators should use technology as mindtools. Students become designers of the knowledge that they are learning, which requires them to think harder about the knowledge being learned. Knowledge is constructed and not reproduced. Students are not relying on the teacher to interpret things, thus students are constructing their own thoughts and views. Computers are tools that help to enhance students’ thinking and learning. Computers, when used as mindtools, make students the source of problem solving, planning, and self-regulation. Computers can help students by distributing cognitive processing by calculating, storing, and retrieving information. Mindtools can be applied to any subject matter, and mindtools applications are abundant and affordable.

Students will learn so much more when they are required to construct their own knowledge through creating representations of what they are learning. When students have to create something, they must think about relationships among ideas and provide rationalizations for why they created something in a certain way. This type of creative process requires students to think on a higher level that if they were just pressing keys on a computer. If computers are used only to press keys, computers are no different than a teacher telling students the information. Students do not use critical thinking skills if they press keys to see if they got the right answer or to proceed to the next screen. Constructing artifacts of knowledge requires students to not only have the right answer, but also produce the right answer on their own. Since students are not relying on the teacher as the sole source of information, they are empowered because they realize that their opinions and views are important and that they have the capability to make decisions on their own. By conversing with each other, such as in CSILE, students become more proficient in communication skills. When using mindtools, students are actively learning because they engage in and interact with the environment. Active learning helps students retain material and transfer information to different environments. As Jonassen, Carr, and Yueh articulate, computers are tools that should not control students’ learning, but should provide a way to build knowledge.

1. How much time will it take students to learn the program so that they can use the program for learning? (When asking this question, I think of OU requiring students to take EIPT 3011 to learn basic programs and computer skills. EIPT 3011 is a prerequisite for this class, which has duration of one hour a week for about two months.)
2. If students take a long time to learn programs, how can mindtools be used to any extent in classrooms? If too much time is utilized to learn the programs, students will get behind in the subject matter. If schools were willing to set up a class to teach students the programs, then it would be easier to implement usage of mindtools in the classroom, because class time would not be wasted.